Barcelona eyeing €500k-rated Brazilian centre-back amid Arsenal interest | OneFootball

Having lost one of their most important players and the only left-footed central defender in the squad from last season, Inigo Martinez, FC Barcelona are now being linked with several other centre-backs in the market.

The Blaugrana already have the likes of Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Eric Garcia in their squad to replace Martinez, but none of them is left-footed. Recently, they have also been linked with Alessandro Bastoni and Lisandro Martinez.

Now, a report from Caught Offside claims that Barcelona are also one of the sides interested in the young left-footed Brazilian center-back Luiz Benedetti.

The 19-year-old defender plays for Palmeiras and, despite his youth, has stood out with his technical qualities and footballing intelligence.

The Blaugranes are seeing the youngster as a strategic option, as his qualities align quite well with Hansi Flick’s requirements.

However, other big European clubs are also interested in the player, including Arsenal, who have been monitoring the player for quite a long time now and are expected to make a move for him in January. Furthermore, Olympiacos are also interested in the €500k-rated Brazilian defender.

As compared to Bastoni and Lisandro Martinez, Luiz Benedetti could be a cheaper option for Barcelona. However, the involvement of clubs like Arsenal can result in Palmeiras increasing their asking price for the player.

But with the transfer window just having closed, for now, it remains to be seen how the player develops and whether these clubs will actually make a move for him.