La Liga giants Barcelona have reportedly expressed an interest in signing out-of-favour Arsenal centre-back Shkodran Mustafi.
Barcelona chief Ronald Koeman took over at Camp Nou back in August, replacing former boss Quique Setien, who was sacked just three days after the Spanish club's stunning 8-2 defeat to German outfit Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Since taking over the reigns during the summer, Koeman, who has experienced the pressure of managing in the Premier League in the past, serving as manager for both Southampton and Everton, has signed just one player, landing highly-rated right-back Sergino Dest from Ajax.
However, Koeman, who has watched his side make an indifferent start to the season, winning just three of their opening seven La Liga outings this term, remains short on options at centre-back, with Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti, who was closely linked with a move to Arsenal during the summer transfer window, his only recognisable options.
Sport state that Koeman wants to add a fourth centre-back to his first-team ranks in an attempt to bolster his options, allowing for regular rotation, as the La Liga club balances their La Liga fixtures and Champions League duties.
And it is claimed that Mustafi, Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger and Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip are amongst the candidates to strengthen the club's defensive options.
Whilst Matip is currently a firm part of Jurgen Klopp's plans at Liverpool, with the German currently without first choice centre-back duo Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez through injury, Rudiger and Mustafi are seeing less action at Chelsea and Arsenal, respectively.
Mustafi has racked up just four appearances in all competitions for the Gunners so far this season, with the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, David Luiz and Rob Holding all ahead of him in the pecking order.
Rudiger, meanwhile, has made just two appearances for Chelsea this term, with only one of them being from the start of a contest.
It is clear that neither player features in the long-term plans of either Mikel Arteta or Frank Lampard, meaning they would both probably jump at the chance to join Barcelona.
However, whilst Rudiger's contract at Stamford Bridge does not expire until June 2022, Mustafi is out-of-contract at the Emirates Stadium in June 2021, meaning Barcelona could land him in a cut-price deal come January.
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With less than a year now remaining on Mustafi's contract, Arsenal would probably accept the opportunity to offload Mustafi for a fee rather than run the risk of losing him for free next summer, with the German defender not keen to stay in north London.
Since joining Arsenal from Valencia back in August 2016, Mustafi has made 146 appearances for the Gunners, scoring nine times and claimed five assists.
The World Cup winner has often been on the periphery of the Gunners' squad in recent seasons, and the addition of the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and David Luiz in recent transfer windows has seen him drop further down the pecking order.
