Arsenal Transfer News: Barcelona Ready to Sign Gunners Forward in January

Arsenal might not be having the greatest of times at the moment, losing their last two matches, but that has not stopped Barcelona from eyeing another one of their players, with Theo Walcott the latest on the never-ending list.

Walcott is being targeted by Barcelona as a potential replacement for Pedro, who moved to Chelsea, with the Spanish giants even holding talks with the player, according to AS, who cite a report in SportBild.

The reports also says Walcott is open to a move, with the chance of playing with the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta too good to turn down.

Walcott only just signed a long-term contract after a long-drawn round of negotiations, and it is highly unlikely Arsene Wenger will allow another one of his players to leave for Barcelona.

While the England international has failed to establish a permanent place in the starting lineup, Walcott is still highly thought of by Wenger, who believes the striker's best years are still ahead of him.

Arsenal have struggled for goals this season, after Wenger failed to sign his premier target in the summer – believed to be Karim Benzema of Real Madrid – with the manager rotating between Walcott and Olivier Giroud in the centre-forward's position.

Neither of them have convinced enough to show they can lead the line and fire Arsenal to glory so far, so it will be interesting to see how that particular striker battle shapes up as we get to the January transfer window.

Barcelona will be free to register players again in January, and they are eyeing Walcott as the ideal man to take Pedro's place. If Walcott does sign for Barcelona, it is difficult to see the 26-year-old being able to dislodge one of Messi, Neymar and Suarez, which should mean a place on the bench.

However, apparently Luis Enrique sees Walcott as a good option to have owing to his pace and decent finishing abilities, but Barcelona will find it difficult to negotiate a fee with Arsenal, who will hold the cards, considering the player only just signed a new contract.