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"The La Liga heavyweights are reportedly keen on Manchester United target Thomas Vermaelen, according to the latest Arsenal transfer news.  &amp;nbsp; #451440560 / gettyimages.com  Will Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen be on his bike this summer? Previous reports embroiled the Belgian centre back in a transfer to Manchester United, however, the Gunners and the Old Trafford side differed when it came to the price-tag of a 28-year-old defender with a transfermarkt.co.uk valuation of &amp;pound;12.32 million. Now there is a rival for the skipper's signature as Barcelona, who have moved on from previous target Jan Vertonghen after the Tottenham Hotspur athlete reaffirmed his desire to remain at White Hart Lane, are looking at Vermaelen to shore of a weakened rearguard. A MARCA report claims that the Camp Nou club have two players on their shortlist of players capable of strengthening their centre back choices - with Vermaelen a seemingly more available candidate than Paris Saint-Germain's 20-year-old Brazilian star Marquinhos. Will Arsene Wenger sell, though? Currently, Vermaelen is an excellent third choice to primary duo Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker but, should a sale be ratified then the club would likely need a replacement as that would leave recent recruit Calum Chambers - who can play a multitude of positions - as one of the few players capable of moving inside. SEE ALSO: PHOTO: Is this how Aaron Ramsey stays so cool in front of goal?Should Vermaelen be sold to Barcelona then he would make the same journey as many a Gunner, including Thierry Henry, Giovanni van Bronckhurst, Emmanuel Petit and Francesc Fabregas. Vermaelen has one year left on his Arsenal contract."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2014/07/30/barcelona-interested-in-thomas-vermaelen-will-wenger-sell/>