Barcelona worry about Ozil conflict of interest

Ozil's contract with Arsenal expires at the end of the season, meaning he is free to negotiate with foreign clubs from January over a pre-contract agreement for the start of next season.

One of the clubs reported to be interested in the German playmaker is Barcelona, but their hopes could have been dealt a blow after the arrival of Sanllehi at the Emirates.

Sanllehi joined Arsenal as head of football relations, as part of the restructuring of their scouting and recruitment. He will be in charge of incomings and outgoings for the Gunners, and one of the things he will be tasked with is trying to convince Ozil to sign a new deal.

According to 'Marca', the Catalan giants are pondering making a move for the 29-year-old in January, but they are worried that the presence of Sanllehi in the negotiations could represent a conflict of interest, as he spent 14 years at the Camp Nou before arriving in England.

The director of football had previous dealings with Arsenal during the negotations to bring Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song from North London to Catalonia.

The current priority around the club continues to be Philippe Coutinho, with Ozil considered a back-up should they fail to secure their No 1 target in January.