Arsenal and Barcelona have agreed a fee worth around £15m for the services of Thomas Vermaelen. The defender is yet to agree personal terms and pass a medical, though the deal is expected to be completed in the next two or three days.
The news comes just hours after Manchester United ended their interest in the Belgian centre-back, with Louis van Gaal's side reportedly refusing to enter negotiations involving a swap deal. Arsenal were reluctant to sell to a team in the Premier League, and wanted a United player in exchange, with Chris Smalling being the number one target.
The deal ends a five-year stay at the Emirates for Vermaelen, who has spent the last two seasons as the captain of the Gunners after the departure of Robin van Persie. This is not the first time that Arsenal have offloaded players to Barcelona, as Cesc Fàbregas and Alex Song are two to have made the switch in the last three years.
Arsène Wenger admitted yesterday that Vermaelen could leave the club, saying that it was a possibility that he had been mentioning since the start of pre-season:
"He could leave, it could happen. I've said that since the start of pre-season. He needs to play now. He has shown an outstanding attitude but he is in a position where we wouldn't stand in his way if he finds an interesting opportunity."
Vermaelen's last two seasons have been plagued by injuries, which has seen the rise of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker as Arsenal's first choice centre-back pairing. It is now down to the club to sign a possible replacement, with Bayern's Javi Martínez one of the many players linked with the club.