Arsenal chase ambitious summer deal for €500m superstar

Cameron Smith

19 Mar 2026 09:30 CDT
3 min read

Arsenal are reportedly among the clubs interested in signing Barcelona wonderkid Pau Cubarsi, whose current contract at Camp Nou includes a €500 million release clause.

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The Spain international, 19, is already considered to be one of the best central defenders in world football and he has been a regular in the Barcelona first-team for the past two years since his breakthrough under previous boss Xavi.

Cubarsi has played over 100 senior games for Barcelona since making his debut against Unionistas de Salamanca in January 2024 and Hansi Flick’s side are planning on offering him a new and improved contract shortly, with his current deal due to expire in 2029.

The Blaugrana have no intention of allowing the teenager to depart Camp Nou, but Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester City are all keeping tabs on his situation, as per a shock report from CaughtOffside.

It’s claimed that a deal is unlikely to take place this summer, however all four clubs are known admirers of the 19-year-old and will be ready to pounce if Barcelona are able to finalise a contract extension agreement with the defender.

Pau Cubarsi to join Arsenal?

Arsenal already have a stacked defensive roster at their disposal and FootballTransfers understands they are set to sign Piero Hincapie on a permanent deal from Bayer Leverkusen when his loan spell expires at the end of the 2025-26 season.

However, the club remain in the market for potential reinforcements amid rumours that Benjamin White and Myles Lewis-Skelly could both be sold during the upcoming summer window.

We have been informed that signing a new full-back is on Arsenal’s agenda, with Newcastle United star Valentino Livramento their top target, although it’s now claimed that Cubarsi has been added to their wishlist too.

However, the Spaniard would face significant competition from William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes for a starting berth at the Emirates Stadium, so an agreement is unlikely to be finalised, especially as he remains extremely content at Barcelona.

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