Arsenal forward heading to Barcelona?

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has emerged as a shock target for Barcelona as they look to find a quick replacement for Neymar, who is set to join Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar, 25, has already agreed terms with the former French champions, and a deal worth £450m is likely to be concluded before the end of the week.

According to Don Balon, the Catalan giants have already lined up their targets to replace Neymar with Sanchez, a surprise inclusion in their list.

Sanchez left the Camp Nou outfit for a move to the Emirates back in 2014 after former boss Luis Enrique failed to give him assurances of a starting role.

The Chilean has since contributed heavily to the Gunners' success with two FA Cup titles, but the lack of Champions League has got him assessing his future.

With just a year left on Sanchez's contract, there has been plenty of interest from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, though the former will end their pursuit following Neymar's arrival.

Arsenal are currently reluctant to sell Sanchez to anyone including a European rival, but Barcelona could potentially offer a substantial sum to push through a deal.

Sanchez did not leave Barcelona on the best of terms, but the prospect of playing in his preferred left-wing position with Champions League could be something hard to turn down.

Despite the link, the Spanish club are still looking to finalise a move for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho - for whom they have failed with two bids of £72m and £89m.