Riqui Puig has reportedly emerged on the radar of Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta keen on securing his services in the ongoing transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Mikel Arteta has drawn up a wishlist of targets to bolster the creativity in his squad. Featuring high on this list is Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig, who could be the subject of a loan move in the ongoing transfer window.
Puig joined the famed La Masia academy in 2013 and subsequently made rapid progress within the youth setup at the club before making the grade in the first-team squad in 2018. Since then, he has continued his progress at Camp Nou while still largely turning out for the Barcelona B side.
In all, Puig has made 22 appearances for Barcelona, with 3 assists to show for his efforts. However, the appointment of Ronald Koeman as the new Barcelona manager has been detrimental to his fortunes, with the youngster not handed a single start this term. The fall in his stature has not done anything to affect the hype surrounding his talent, with Arsenal currently in his pursuit.
Arsenal did bolster their midfield in the summer by signing Thomas Partey while also signing Dani Ceballos on loan for a second successive summer. However, while the former bolsters the defensive side of things more than the creative, Ceballos has been rather unimpressive in his displays this season.
The re-emergence of Emile Smith Rowe has provided some respite on the creative front for Arsenal. However, with Mesut Ozil set to leave the club imminently, the Gunners are in desperate need to sign a creative midfield, which has seen them being linked with Marcel Sabitzer.
A number of other targets, like Julian Draxler, have also been named, but it now looks like Puig is another name being considered, with the young Barcelona defender high on Arteta’s wishlist. However, while the Blaugrana would be open to loaning him out, the 21-year-old wants to stay put at Camp Nou and fight for his place in the side.
A possible loan approach for the January transfer window is, therefore, set to be complicated, with Arsenal likely to face an uphill task in their bid to secure the services of the young midfielder. Having said that, it remains to be seen if the Gunners can swoop him away from Barcelona, with Mikel Arteta keen on landing him.
