Arsenal risk losing £42.5m club-record signing to FC Barcelona – Real Madrid will have first refusal

Arsenal risk losing star midfielder Mesut Ozil this summer to La Liga giants FC Barcelona, according to AS (via Squawka).

The Premier League side; who currently lie third in the standings, but 11 points adrift of leaders Leicester City, despite defeating Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park last weekend, are expected to receive a bid from the Spanish outfit for the impressive Germany international once the current 2015-16 campaign has concluded.

The 27-year-old, who has 70 international caps for his country and is expected to star for Joachim Low’s side at Euro 2016 later this year, has scored seven goals and provided an astonishing 19 assists in 38 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners so far this season.

Ozil, who arrived at the Emirates Stadium from Real Madrid back in September 2013 in a club-record deal thought to be worth £42.5m, is wanted by Barca ahead of next term, with Luis Enrique’s side reportedly ready to offer the likes of Arda Turan, Munir El Haddadi and Sandro in return.

However any potential deal is complicated further by the fact that Madrid inserted a clause into Ozil’s Arsenal deal, meaning Zinedine Zidane’s outfit will have first refusal on the playmaker if any other Spanish side becomes interested in signing him.