Arteta gets Arsenal shot at Barcelona star

Robin Bairner

• 4 Apr 2026 08:02 CDT
• 3 min read

Analysis

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been given the opportunity to snap up a Barcelona player who would improve the depth of the Gunners’ squad for absolutely nothing.

Denmark international centre-back Andreas Christensen finds his future at Camp Nou uncertain. He is out of contract at the end of the season and has yet to agree terms on a new deal.

While Barcelona are eager to retain the 29-year-old, they will not do so at any cost. Sport reports that he has been offered a new deal at dramatically reduced terms, and while his attitude is valued, the Blaugrana appreciate that he may get better offers from elsewhere. This is where Arsenal come in.

Current ETV

Andreas Christensen

D, M, DM (C)

Barcelona

Andreas Christensen

D, M, DM (C)

Barcelona

€22.9M

ETV Range

€20.6M - €25.2M

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Christensen to Arsenal: Why the deal makes sense

While Arteta will have no plans to shake up his front-line central defensive options with William Saliba and Gabriel still performing to a Premier League-leading standard as a pair, and even Cristhian Mosquera offering excellent cover, Christensen could add an extra layer of security to the depth of the Gunners ahead of what promises to be a gruelling campaign.

Both Saliba and Gabriel will head into 2025/26 after playing in the World Cup – and there is a strong chance both will go deep in the competition with France and Brazil respectively. With the risk of injury greater, managing their minutes could prove crucial.

Christensen would offer strong cover, with data analytics experts SciSports giving the Gunners a Club Fit score of 77. This is calculated from a variety of metrics, including expected game time, potential development, playing style and formation.

Arsenal are a strong fit across the board for Christensen, with the Dane expected to fit smoothly into Arteta’s side.

The one significant drawback is playing time. This is something that Arteta cannot offer him at the highest level on a regular basis, as he would arrive as a rotation player – the same status he would have at Barcelona.

Arteta is known as a manager who values his players having Premier League experience, and Christensen boasts having made nearly 100 appearances for Chelsea in the competition.

A move worth considering

FootballTransfers exclusively revealed that Arsenal are targeting a stronger English core to their team, which will mean making a bid for Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon in the summer, but the possibility of signing Christensen on a free transfer is one that the Gunners cannot ignore given the experience an attitude he can bring to the squad.