Barcelona Reportedly Consider Pablo Fornals Due to Frenkie de Jong Competition

Villarreal star Pablo Fornals has reportedly emerged as a target for Barcelona as they seek to strengthen their options in midfield.

According to J.L. Calderon of Marca, the Blaugrana have been impressed by the recent form of the 22-year-old, who has shone for the La Liga side this season and recently earned a call to the Spain national team.

It's added that Fornals has a clause in his contract that would make him available for around €25 million (£22 million), which would be a bargain in the current market.

"In his hypothetical signing for Barcelona, this [price] would greatly facilitate the operation," said Calderon. "The Catalans are finding many problems in a market with exorbitant prices, and the 'Fornals option' would be a simple and strategically very interesting move."

Here's a look at how the story was reported, per Sport Witness:

Per Spanish football journalist Alex Kirkland, Arsenal have also been noted as a potential suitor for the player by Marca previously:

Barcelona are said to be considering alternatives to Ajax starlet Frenkie de Jong, who is attracting interest from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City and is subsequently set to cost more than initially anticipated.

The Blaugrana have also been strongly linked with a move for PSG's Adrien Rabiot, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign. Barcelona are said to be unsure as to whether he would represent a viable option, though.

Fornals would make sense, as he has tremendous technical ability and sharp cerebral traits, which would fall in line with classic Blaugrana mantras. According to Calderon, the player is not seeking to leave Villarreal in the midseason market.

He has been a key man for the struggling La Liga side this season, starting 14 games in all competitions in a variety of midfield positions. Fornals has three goals and two assists to his name.

He also became a social media sensation earlier in the campaign, producing this stunning goal and equally impressive bit of skill in the 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao:

The youngster has emerged as one of the most creative players in Spanish football since making the switch to Villarreal from Malaga:

For any manager, Fornals would be a brilliant player to have around. Not only does he have a high ceiling in terms of development, but he is also already proving himself at a high level and has shown he can influence a game from numerous areas on the field.

The worry for him is that a move to Barcelona would limit his time on the field and harm his development. With players like Ivan Rakitic, Philippe Coutinho, Arthur Melo and Arturo Vidal jostling for places at the Camp Nou, it's not immediately clear where Fornals would fit in.