Piero Hincapie has reportedly begun discussions with Barcelona over a January move, only six months after his switch to Arsenal was made permanent. Reports in Spain, cited by Football.London and Mirror Football, say the Catalan club have revived their interest in the defender after first tracking him during the summer.

Both outlets attribute the claim to SPORT, and there is no suggestion from either that Arsenal have agreed to anything. It remains unclear, they say, whether Mikel Arteta would sanction a mid-season departure.

Barcelona interest revived

According to the reports, Barcelona are in the market for a central defender and have returned to a target they looked at earlier in the year. The Spanish champions are said to be exploring the possibility of Hincapie spending the second half of the campaign at the Nou Camp.

The 24-year-old has had injury problems since arriving and has dropped down the pecking order in Arsenal's defence. At left-back he is behind Riccardo Calafiori, while at centre-half the summer arrival Ezri Konsa has impressed and William Saliba is available again after a long spell on the sidelines.

That combination has left limited room for Hincapie, and the reports frame the Barcelona contact as a consequence of that lack of regular football rather than any breakdown in relations with the club.

Selection picture at the back

Saliba's return from a back injury gives Arteta a decision to make over his centre-back pairing, with Konsa having established himself alongside Gabriel since his move from Aston Villa.

Rio Ferdinand believes the answer could be to move Konsa to right-back, a position he has filled for England. During an appearance on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Ferdinand remarked: "I think Saliba is one of those guys that you have to find room for in the team." He's's that good, he's top."

He's added that Konsa's efficiency stands out — "everything he does is efficient" — and described the situation as "a great problem for Arteta to have". Ferdinand said he would not be surprised to see Konsa shifted to right-back once Saliba is back in the side.

Domestic focus resumes

Arsenal return to Premier League action on Saturday when Hull City visit the Emirates Stadium, following the midweek Champions League win at Slavia Prague. Arteta's side are also expected to look at attacking reinforcements in January, with the reports suggesting a high-profile exit or two could follow alongside any incoming business.

Photo: Martin Addison via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, resized.