Barcelona make first move for Thomas Vermaelen with €12m bid

Barcelona have submitted their first formal bid for Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen. 

As Sky Sports said on Tuesday, Barcelona have fixed their interests on the Belgian centre-back and put €12million on the table to procure him. 

Knowing that Vermaelen is not in Arsene Wenger's first-team plans, with the Frenchman preferring Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny at the back, Barcelona are vying with Manchester United for his signature. 

Louis van Gaal needs defenders and at 28 with five years experience in England, Vermaelen could be his man, but Barca are trying to bring him into Luis Enrique's project too. 

Barca have already bought Jeremy Mathieu from Valencia but still want to add one more central defender before the transfer window ends.