Barcelona aiming to sign Arsenal defender this summer

Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on landing Nacho Monreal from Arsenal when the current season comes to a close.

The Spaniard has been with the Gunners for the past six years and during this period, he has racked more than 225 appearances for the club in all competitions.

According to Don Balon, the Blaugrana are understood to have held discussions with the left-back regarding a summer transfer and they are confident of getting a deal over the line.

Monreal currently has 16 months remaining on his existing contract with the Gunners and it is claimed that a fee of around £8.5m could be sufficient to prise him away from the club.

The 33-year-old has been in-and-out of the starting lineup this season due to injury concerns, but he has recently featured in back-to-back league games against Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur.

Still, the speculation linking him with a return to the Spanish La Liga doesn't seem to cease and it will be interesting to see whether he fancies playing the deputy role to Jordi Alba at the Camp Nou.