Gunners would rather sell Belgian centre back abroad than to their rivals.
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Arsenal centre back Thomas Vermaelen looks set to join Barcelona, according to reports from the Mirror, who suggest that the Gunners would much rather see the Belgian move to La Liga than join domestic rivals Manchester United, who are also keen.
Vermaelen has fallen out of favour at the Emirates Stadium, and manager Arsene Wenger confirmed that he was likely to leave the club during his pre-Emirates Cup press conference, with Barcelona now looking likely to secure a deal for the player.
New Barca boss Luis Enrique is said to be keen on Vermaelen, who would represent a cheaper option than either Marquinhos or Jan Vertonghen, with Enrique already having spent a significant summer on French defender Jeremy Mathieu from La Liga rivals Valencia this summer.
Manchester United had been linked with a move for Vermaelen through the summer, but it seems as though Arsenal would much rather see the Belgian move abroad if there is no significant difference in the bids on the table from the two clubs.
This may cause issues for United boss Louis van Gaal, who is yet to source a replacement for either Nemanja Vidic or Rio Ferdinand, both of whom left on free transfers this summer.
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