Barcelona’s Dutch midfielder Ibrahim Afellay will be playing at the Emirates this season, but only when the Gunners host the German club Schalke 04 in the champion’s league. Reports claimed earlier this week that the Dutch international was going to leave Barcelona on a year long loan deal, with Arsenal and Tottenham two of the favourites to land him.
Barcelona had told the player that they would not stand in the way of a permanent deal, and were only looking for around £5 million. Afellay, however, wanted to go on loan to get match fit and try to break into the Barcelona squad, but he seems to have changed his mind.
ESPN reports that the clubs have agreed a permanent deal for the midfielder. Schalke’s coach Huub Stevens was Afellay’s coach at PSV Eindhoven where he played 217 times. He will also be playing alongside his international team mate Klaas Jan-Huntelaar. The Dutch striker has already tweeted a welcome to Afellay, somewhat giving the game away before any official announcement has been made.
Gooners will now be hoping that Afellay does not make us rue the failure to sign him in the two champions league matches this year.
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