Arsenal Reportedly Step Up Interest in Barcelona Starlet Robert Navarro

Arsenal are reportedly ready to intensify their pursuit of Barcelona academy star Robert Navarro. 

According to Simon Jones of the MailOnline, Manchester City had previously been considered as the front-runners to land the 15-year-old, although they've since taken a step back from any potential deal.

It's left Arsenal in a strong position to sign the midfielder, and they are reportedly keen to bring him to the Emirates Stadium when he turns 16 on April 12.

Jones reported that Barca have offered Navarro a new contract in the hope he will stick around at the Camp Nou. A number of youngsters have moved away from Barcelona in recent years to get regular football elsewhere, including the likes of Adama Traore and Alex Grimaldo.

Arsenal have also enjoyed success in the past bringing players to the club from the Barcelona academy and aiding their development.

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In the current first team they have Hector Bellerin as a regular at right-back, with the 23-year-old trading Catalonia for north London in 2011. Cesc Fabregas, now of Chelsea, also made the same move as a youngster before going on to captain the Gunners.

Navarro will look at what those two players accomplished following the move and how they progressed as players at Arsenal and surely be tempted by the move. Here's a look at what he could potentially bring to the Emirates Stadium:

For Barcelona, it will be a worry that the pathway from La Masia into the first team, once a road so easy for players to tread, is becoming increasingly strewn with obstacles.

The bedrock of the club's success in recent seasons has been their ability to produce talent in-house and integrate those footballers into the first team. The supply line has dried up in recent years, though, prompting the club to spend massive money on the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.

Although Navarro isn't on the brink of the first team, it's clear he's highly rated and someone with the potential to make an impact in the future for the club. If he ends up at Arsenal, the Gunners will be hoping they have another Bellerin or Fabregas on their hands.