TALENT: Arsene Wenger was extremely interested in the playmaker [GETTY]
Arsene Wenger was keen to strike a deal for the 17-year-old playmaker but has been beaten to his signature by the Spanish giants.
Halilovic, who had also been attracting interest from Manchester City and Tottenham, has emerged as one of Europe's brightest talents after breaking into Dinamo Zagreb's first team.
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Wenger has been searching for new attackers as he looks to build a title-winning side, and had earmarked the Croatia international as a long-term replacement for the ageing Tomas Rosicky.
But the lure of playing alongside stars such as Lionel Messi and Neymar has proved too tempting for Halilovic, who took to Instagram to express his delight: "Thanks Dinamo Zagreb for everything! My first club and biggest love! Now is time to move on to Barcelona."
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