Mesut Ozil's agent reveals Barcelona meeting to discuss Shkodran Mustafi

ByAlexander Netherton

Updated 23/12/2020 at 13:19 GMT

When Emre Ozturk reported a meeting with Spanish side Barcelona, there were rumours that Arsenal's playmaker Mesut Ozil was subject of the club's interest, as well as Rapid Vienna's teenager Yusuf Demir. However Ozturk revealed that the player being discussed was Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi, who is out of contract at the season's end.

Shkodran Mustafi’s agent has explained that he has met the Spanish side to discuss the future of the Arsenal defender, not his teammate Mesut Ozil or Rapid Vienna's Yusuf Demir.

There was speculation that Ozil may have been considered as a short-term signing, or free transfer, for the Catalan club after he was frozen out of the first team side by current Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.

However it has emerged that Ozturk is hoping to secure a move away for another out-of-favour Arsenal player, German defender Mustafi. The 28-year-old former Everton man has played just twice in the Premier League this season.

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Mustafi joined from Valencia in 2016 but is now poised for a return to La Liga. Barcelona are suffering from severe financial constraints so may see Mustafi as a more affordable option to their longer term target, Manchester City’s Eric Garcia.

Garcia was close to a return to Barcelona in the last transfer fee but Ronald Koeman’s side was unable to raise the funds to tempt City into a sale. He may still join at the end of the current season when his own contract runs out in the summer, as Mustafi’s does.

"I’m not in Barcelona because of Yusuf Demir [Rapid Vienna’s 17-year-old player who has also been linked with Barcelona], but because of Shkodran Mustafi from Arsenal, who we also represent," Ozturk told SPOX.

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