Arsenal could hand Frenkie de Jong his dream shirt number, 21, should he be forced to leave Barcelona this summer.
While the La Liga giants have publicly said they want to keep the former Ajax star in Spain, they could be forced to sell the midfielder if they don't sort out their finances in the near future. Speaking on Spanish radio station Catalunya Radio, Barcelona president Juan Laporta said: "There are Barca players that are always being talked about in the market.
"I don’t know if we will sell important players. If we complete some deals, maybe it won’t be needed. The priority is our financial situation, as of now. We’ll do our best for the club."
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Arsenal are likely to be in the queue for the central midfielder but face stern competition from Manchester United, who recently hired De Jong's former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag. Though that could hand them an advantage in the race for the 25-year-old, the Gunners have their own ace up their sleeve.
Since making his senior debut for Ajax in the 2016/17 season, De Jong has worn the No.21 shirt and is currently wearing it for Barcelona. It's a number he has also been handed for the Dutch national side and upon signing for Barca in 2019, he explained why it's so important to him.
"I feel comfortable with that number," De Jong told Voetbal International. "I could easily play with another number, you know, it's not a problem, but it is nice that it also gives people a way of recognising me.
"I brought my whole family to my presentation in Barcelona, except my grandfather Hans de Jong, my father's father. He died on the day of my 21st birthday. Unconsciously it is also a kind of tribute. He was a huge football fan."
Arsenal currently have no player in the first-team squad wearing the 21 shirt and haven't since Calum Chambers left last summer to join Aston Villa in the Premier League.
