Barcelona are monitoring Gabriel Martinelli, according to a report from Spain, but they seem unlikely to succeed in signing him.

Spanish outlet Sport report that Barcelona are very attentive to Gabriel Martinelli’s progress with Arsenal and the Brazil team, and he could become a target for the club at the end of the current season.

Martinelli is reportedly aware of Barcelona’s interest, and the club maintain a very good relationship with his camp, though for now they’re only positioning themselves for a move – as opposed to making one.

Sport claim Martinelli could represent a good market value opportunity if he doesn’t renew his contract, but they appear to be missing some of the details.

According to the Spanish outlet, Martinelli will only have a year left on his contract if he doesn’t renew his deal before the summer.

To an extent, this is true. But Arsenal have the option to extend Martinelli’s contract by a further two years to 2026 if they wish to.

Realistically, Barcelona aren’t going to be able to take advantage of Martinelli’s contract situation for another couple of years or more. Until then, Arsenal are likely to hold out for a high fee.

Even then, this all depends on Martinelli refusing to extend his contract with Arsenal. The club clearly want him to sign a new deal, and he seems keen enough to do so, so he could end up with new terms lasting until 2027 or beyond.

If Barcelona’s strategy is to hope contract talks fail and to try and secure a cut-price deal at that point, they’re not likely to complete the signing.