Barcelona set to target Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny | OneFootball

Barcelona are closely monitoring the health of their centre back Samuel Umtiti after the Frenchman suffered an injury to his left knee.

If tests later this month indicate Umtiti will need surgery to repair his knee, Barça will look to the transfer market in the January window.

Barcelona will try to add a defender with experience in the Champions League who can step in and compete for a spot in the lineup.

The Catalan club see Arsenal centre back Laurent Koscielny as an ideal recruit to meet their needs and Spanish paper Marca reports they will offer an initial six-month deal.

Despite their considerable resources, the Blaugrana don’t want to break the bank for their defensive reinforcement.

As such, they are are unlikely to go after long-term targets like 19-year-old Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax, who is the subject of a bidding war among Europe’s top clubs.

Koscielny is under contract through June 2020 but Arsenal may be willing to sell the player if manager Unai Emery is comfortable with his younger options in defence.

The 33-year-old defender initially joined the Gunners in 2010 and retired from international football last month. He has been recovering from a ruptured Achilles injury suffered in May against Atlético Madrid and any move from Barcelona is dependent on his return to full fitness.

Despite not playing since that Europa League match in the Spanish capital, Koscielny was named Arsenal club captain over the summer.