Barcelona have reportedly launched a £16m bid to hijack Manchester United's move for Thomas Vermaelen.
The Arsenal defender is rumoured to be one of Louis van Gaal's main transfer targets at Old Trafford this summer, but the Catalan Giants are now said to have stepped in with a bid of their own.
Barca signed Jeremy Mathieu from Valencia earlier this week, but manager Luis Enrique is in the market for another centre-back, according to The Express.
Vermaelen, who joined Arsenal in 2009, is now seen as a top priority at the Nou Camp having fallen out of favour under Arsene Wenger over the past 12 months after an injury-plagued campaign, which continued into this summer's World Cup.
