Arsenal transfer target and Barcelona wonderkid Mikayil Faye in profile

Arsenal are reportedly weighing up a move for Barcelona’s young centre-back Mikayil Faye.

The 19-year-old defender moved to Camp Nou last summer from Croatian side NK Kustosija. He was integrated into the academy to begin with and has yet to make his debut with the Barcelona first team.

However, according to the Daily Mail, the Gunners have enquired about the Senegalese international ahead of a summer transfer. Barca rate the defender highly but are aware they need to sell before the start of next season to raise funds.

It is understood that Faye could generate £17m if he is sold this pre-season. He has also gathered interest from Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester United and Liverpool.

With so much being said about the defender, football.london has taken a closer look at who he is.

Xavi’s promise

As mentioned, Faye has yet to make his senior debut for the first team but has been on the bench for three La Liga fixtures. Barcelona’s former boss Xavi was a big fan and it was almost guaranteed he would feature next season after the Spaniard made a big promise in April.

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“Mika Faye is ready, tomorrow could be his big day to debut,” he said. “I see him ready to be part of our first squad, he’s an interesting talent and it could be his moment, yes.”

While this did not materialise, it is clear Faye has some notable admirers. Xavi has since left the club, so could Faye follow him out the door?

‘Monster’ attributes

It is very rare to see a teenage defender earn the nickname ‘monster’ but that is exactly the moniker Faye has earned. It is believed the teenager gained the nickname before he joined Barcelona thanks to his ‘immense physical prowess’ and ‘all-action’ playing style.

Faye stands at 6ft and 1 inch tall and could get taller still as he gets older. He is also believed to be incredibly versatile and while he favours being a centre-back, he can also operate at left-back due to his pace.