Defensive midfielder Sergi Samper is seen as a rising star on the well-stocked Barcelona depth chart. But even the offer of more immediate playing time wasn’t enough for Arsenal to pry him out of Spain.
According to talkSPORT, the 20-year-old defensive midfielder will be staying in Barcelona despite significant interest from Arsene Wenger in giving him more regular playing time.
“At first, he will be in the B team, with the option, of course, of being involved with the first team,” Barcelona technical secretary Robert Fernandez told a Spanish newspaper.
Samper made four appearances with the Barcelona senior squad in the 2014-15 season after spending the previous two with Barcelona B.
During his time with the Barcelona B squad, Samper made 74 league appearances and caps for the Spanish U-19 and U-21 teams.
But the decision to keep Samper now is not an indication that Wenger will give up on him. Back in 2011 Wenger managed to land Hector Bellerin after failing to bring him into the fold on numerous occasions.
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