Arsenal would be smart to aim for a future that does not include midfielder Alex Song.

According to Wayne Veysey of goal.com, Barcelona have interest in acquiring the Gunners' defensive midfielder prospect but aren't keen on paying £15 million for the 24-year-old.

This per Veysey's report:

Arsene Wenger is reluctant to sell the only senior defensive midfielder in his squad even though Song has developed the creative side of his game over the last two seasons.

Although it doesn't make sense for Wenger to cut ties with the Cameroon native just for the sake of acquiring some spending money, the Gunners would be better suited to begin the post-Robin van Persie era without the defensive liability in Song.

Over the last few seasons, Song has taken to the attack on more and more occasions, making the Gunners susceptible to giving up goals at the back.

Song has played with Arsenal since 2005 and has made over 200 appearances with the English club since, scoring 10 goals over that time. The real surprise came in 2010-11, though, when Song scored four goals during English Premier League play alone. 

On the surface, Song's desire to get forward and assist with the attack looks nothing but beneficial to the club, but in reality his lack of discipline at times as a defensive midfielder has and will continue to hurt the Gunners.

Of course, the price tag carries heavy weight in this situation. If Barcelona are willing to shell out the cash Arsenal are asking for in exchange for Song, this is a no-brainer for the Gunners. But at the same time, Song's shortcomings on the pitch aren't nearly glaring enough to warrant a move for anything less than the asking price. 

It may take some time for Arsenal to develop their ideal replacement, but that doesn't mean sending Song to Barcelona doesn't make sense.

After the acquisitions of Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud, the Gunners can afford to move on without Song, shaping their future with a stronger defender in midfield.

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