Arsenal prepare move for Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets

Arsenal want to sign Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets this summer, as Arsene Wenger looks to bring an upgrade to Francis Coquelin, according to Spanish publication Sport.

The Frenchman is a huge fan of the midfielder and has asked his recruitment team to keep a tab on the 27-year-old, who would be a massive boost to their chances of lifting the Premier League title next season.

Busquets is an important member of the Barcelona first team and has signed a long-term contract which ties him to the club till 2019.

Coquelin has been in brilliant form over the past six months, but Busquets can provide Arsenal the option to play from the back, something Wenger has tried to achieve over the years by deploying Mikel Arteta in a deep holding role.

With the Spaniard entering his mid thirties and struggling to keep pace with the league, Wenger is looking to bring in a suitable replacement to keep their midfield engine ticking.

However, it would be extremely difficult for Wenger to convince the Spaniard to make the trip to north London, with Busquets coming to the season on the back of a treble winning campaign with the Catalans. The player wants to stay in Spain, with Barcelona in no mood to let go of one of their best homegrown players.

The Gunners come into the season on the back of consecutive FA Cup triumphs at the Wembley and the manager will be looking to put in a concerted effort for the title.

They have started the season well, winning the Barclays Asia Trophy and the Emirates Cup in comprehensive fashion and will face Chelsea in the Community Shield on Sunday (2 August) where a win will give them some much needed momentum going into the first game of the campaign on 9 August against West Ham.

The Gunners have made only one signing thus far, of Petr Cech from Chelsea, after the player lost his starting spot to Thibaut Courtois.