Arsenal go into the international break on a high after a run of four consecutive victories across all competitions.
Mikel Arteta’s side cruised to a 2-0 win over London rivals West Ham United in their last outing, having previously beaten Greek side Olympiakos by the same scoreline in the Champions League.
Next up for the Gunners after the break is a visit to West London to face Fulham, before they host Spanish side Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
In the meantime, it has emerged that the North London outfit are set to face competition in the race to sign a La Liga star.
As per The Daily Briefing via CaughtOffside, Chelsea are set to battle it out with Arsenal in the race to land Barcelona star Marc Casado.
Casado has attracted interest from both Chelsea and Arsenal (Photo: PressInPhotoSports Agency/Alamy)
The report claims that the Blues have entered the race to sign the 22-year-old, who is a product of Barcelona’s fruitful La Masia academy.
Chelsea are said to believe that signing the young defensive midfielder would represent good business and be a ‘smart investment’.
Casado has made 48 appearances for Barca at senior level since graduating from the club’s academy, but he has started just three of their eight La Liga matches so far this term.
It is claimed that the La Liga champions would be willing to allow the midfielder to depart the club for a fee of around £25-30 million, with Chelsea likely to make a move to sign the player when the transfer window reopens in January.
The report suggests that the Blues discussed Casado during negotiations over a deal for his Barcelona teammate, Fermin Lopez, during the recent summer window.
Casado’s current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2028, but it appears that he may leave Catalonia prior to then.