Transfer news: Former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen set for Barcelona return after Roma decide against permanent deal

Former Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen is set to return to Barcelona this summer after loan club Roma passed up the option to land him permanently.

With first-team chances at the Nou Camp scarce for the centre-back, he decided to join Roma on a season-long loan deal last summer but it has not gone to plan for the 31-year-old.

Vermaelen has managed just four Serie A starts in yet another injury-affected campaign for the Belgian.

So it is no surprise that, according to reports in Italy, Roma have decided against signing him on a permanent basis with a return to Barcelona now on the cards.

However, it is unclear what the future holds for Vermaelen, who has played just 11 La Liga games in his two seasons at Barca following his move from Arsenal in 2014.