Arsenal are planning a surprise move to sign Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry in the summer, according to a report.
The Express claims that Gunners manager Arsene Wenger tried to sign the England international on loan before the start of the season only to be rebuffed by City, who were not keen to allow their player to join a Premier League title rival and sent the 32-year-old to Everton instead.
However, it is believed that the Arsenal boss is still an admirer of the ex-Aston Villa midfielder and thinks he can do a good job in the Gunners midfield.
Everton were heavily linked with their own permanent move in January, but the move supposedly broke down because Barry wanted to keep his options open for this summer.
The Toffees will travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, looking to close the gap on fourth-placed Liverpool.