Rumour Reel: Belgium’s Batshuayi London bound as Barca eye Bellerin

Topping off Palace’s busy dealing day, the club are understood to be after Magpies wingman Townsend and are considering triggering his £10.5m release clause as the winger considers his future in the Championship.

Barca eye Bellerin

After Dani Alves’ switch from Barcelona to Juventus, the Catalan club are reportedly looking to replace him with former Barca youth player Hector Bellerin.

Alves filled the right back berth for eight years, and the Nou Camp club may now be forced to scour the market for a long-term replacement. Ex-La Masia man Bellerin has three years remaining on his contract and would command a large fee. However, Arsene Wenger isn’t adverse to selling a player that has had his head turned.

The right back has excelled over the last few years and was rewarded with a call up to the Spanish national side. Barca would be getting a player that would fit straight into the philosophy in Spain and has the versatility and attacking nous the club would demand.

Arsenal after Brazilian Barbosa

Wenger is interested in Brazilian starlet Gabriel Barbosa to solve his goal scoring woes, according to reports in his home country.

Papers suggest the Frenchman is mulling over a move for the striker after missing out on Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, who decided to decline a transfer to the Emirates, with Theo Walcott likely to leave north London.

The 19-year-old revealed he has offers from Europe, but is reportedly reluctant to leave his hometown at such a young age.

He said: “Yes, I have offers from some of the big clubs in Europe that interest me, but that is for my parents and my employers but I am happy at Santos.”

With Wenger’s interest in Vardy and Barbosa, it is clear the manager is trying to inject some pace and power into Arsenal’s forward line. Perhaps we could see the end of the possession-based pretty passing style that Wenger has developed over the years, in favour of a new, rip-roaring counter attacking philosophy.

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