A host of Europe's leading clubs have been alerted by an admission
from Ibrahim Afellay's agent that the Barcelona midfielder could be
available on a season-loan deal.
Premier
league sides Arsenal and Liverpool have been linked with Netherlands
international Afellay, while Serie A clubs Inter Milan, Lazio, AC Milan
and Fiorentina, as well as Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund and
French club Lille, are also reportedly interested.
"Afellay could
go out on loan for a year," his representative, Rob Jansen, told Italian
reporters over the weekend. "Yes, that is a possibility."
Afellay,
26, joined Barcelona from PSV Eindhoven in January 2011, and
immediately played a key role in the club's victorious Champions League
campaign. He has since struggled to hold down a first-team place at the
Camp Nou and missed most of last season with a serious cruciate ligament
injury.
He returned in time to play a part in all three games in
Netherlands' disappointing Euro 2012 campaign and has featured regularly
for Barcelona in pre-season friendlies so far under new head coach Tito
Vilanova, starting Saturday night's penalty shootout win over Paris
Saint-Germain.
However, with Spain's Euro 2012 contingent now back in contention, his opportunities are expected to be more limited.
Next up for Barcelona is a friendly against Premier League side Manchester United on Wednesday evening in Gothenburg.
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