Samper faces the prospect of another season playing in Barcelona’s B team who were relegated at the end of last season to the third tier of Spanish football.
Advertisement
Wenger had planned to spend big this summer on a holding midfielder but the emergence last season of Francis Coquelin means he can buy potential rather than the finished article.
The Blaugrana are not even close to listening the offer, however, and even if his contract is bought out, Samper has never indicated any remote desire to go somewhere else. Samper is rated very highly by everyone at Barcelona and they will do all that they can to try and retain his services.
Wenger’s interest in Barcelona’s 20-year-old defensive midfielder comes after his side missed out on a number of top transfer targets, including Geoffrey Kondogbia, who signed for Italian giants Inter Milan from AS Monaco.
€12 million seems like a lot for someone with only four first-team appearances, but this is Barcelona, so it makes some sense at least.
However, Barcelona are reluctant to lose another talented youngster to Arsenal and are keen to loan him out this summer to further his football education. Now, it appears that Arsene Wenger is ready to give another the chance that Hector Bellerin and Cesc Fabregas have enjoyed in recent years.
Despite the low buyout clause the La Liga champions will fight to keep Samper.
Advertisement
But if Wenger pays the asking price, Samper could decide a permanent move away from the Nou Camp is what best suits his career.
