Barcelona eyeing up move for Leon Goretzka… and will beat Arsenal to Schalke hotshot

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Barcelona target Leon Goretzka has told Kicker he is close to making a decision over his future with a host of Europe's top clubs interested in the Schalke free transfer.

Barca general manager Pep Segura is understood to have made contact with the player in the last few weeks and they believe the prospect of a move to the Nou Camp and a sizeable signing-on fee will persuade him to choose Spain next month when he will be free to sign with a new club ahead of a move at the end of the season.

Goretzka, who has also been tracked by Arsenal, told Kicker: 'I'm in the final phase of negotiations. I have not set myself any deadline but I don't intend to leave my decision until the end of January.'

Barcelona are eyeing up a move for Schalke's German midfielder Leon Goretzka

Goretzka has also been tracked by Arsenal as he approaches the end of his contract

The 22-year-old is seen by Barcelona as a considerably cheaper option than Mesut Ozil who remains a target but whose wage demands have set Barcelona's interest back.

The club are also tracking the Brazilian Arthur who landed himself in trouble at the weekend by posing in a Barca shirt. 

The 21-year-old Gremio midfielder had just won the Copa Libertadores and been voted man-of-the-match in the final.

The Brazilian club were furious saying they had only given permission for Barcelona representatives to meet the player's family. 

Barcelona are understood to have made contact with the player in the last few weeks

The club are also tracking Arthur who landed himself in trouble by posing in a Barca shirt

Barcelona's representative in Brazil, Andre Cury and the club's Technical Secretary Robert Fernandez are understood to have given Arthur the shirt as a gift, and he put it on for a group photo that was then leaked upsetting Gremio supporters.

Arthur's buy-out is £44m and after his performance in the final he remains one of their options as they look to rebuild in the post-Andres Iniesta era. 

Iniesta is enjoying football again under coach Ernesto Valverde but the 33-year-old aggravated an Achilles injury at the weekend and remains someone the club know they need to replace long-term.

Having put so much work in over last summer Barcelona still hope that Philippe Coutinho will end up as Iniesta's long-term replacement but after shelling out for Lieonl Messi's new contract and still unable to shift highly-paid reserve Arda Turan, there is pressure not to meet Liverpool £100m-plus asking price.

It is in defence that Barcelona have the most pressing need. 

Samuel Umtiti's hamstring injury rules him out for two months and the club have an option on Palmeiras' 23-year-old defender Yerry Mina. 

Barcelona could enter the market for a new centre-back after Samuel Umtiti's hamstring injury

Barcelona can take the Colombian defender for £7.8m in January but coach Valverde has such faith in Thomas Vermaelen that he is happy to wait until the summer despite Umtiti's set-back.

Waiting until the summer to sign another centre-back will depend largely on convincing Javier Mascherano to stay at the club until the end of the season. 

The 33-year-old has barely been used by Valverde and wants to leave at the start of the year to increase his chances of playing a part in the World Cup finals in Russia.