General view inside the stadium as Arsenal players warm up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid C.F. and Arsenal FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 16, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.General view inside the stadium as Arsenal players warm up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid C.F. and Arsenal FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 16, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.
General view inside the stadium as Arsenal players warm up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid C.F. and Arsenal FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 16, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. | Getty Images
Spanish giants Real Madrid are said to be eyeing two Arsenal players this summer
An important summer is ahead for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, after Champions’ League semi-final defeat to PSG confirmed a fifth consecutive season without major silverware and left fans frustrated by another year where they came close but not quite close enough to glory.
The Spaniard’s side have been rooted to second place for the third year in a row, and will likely have to avoid defeat against third-placed Newcastle United on Sunday if they are to avoid dropping down further and taking their Champions League qualification bid to the final day.
The Gunners will be active in the transfer market, with several big-name players linked with a move to the Emirates. Arteta will certainly be looking to strengthen in the striking department, with his side scoring 17 less goals than champions Liverpool this campaign, in addition to a couple goals fewer than Newcastle United and one less than Manchester City, who will earn their worst points total under Pep Guardiola . The Gunners have scored a staggering 25 goals less than last season, suggesting a decline this term which should not entirely be blamed on injuries.
But Arsenal’s summer plans may be put in jeopardy as it has been revealed that Real Madrid are considering an audacious double swoop for two of their star performers this campaign.
Real Madrid eye double Arsenal raid with €120m plan
Stunning reports from Fichajes in Spain have revealed that Real Madrid are seeking revenge on their Champions League quarter-final elimination at the hands of the Gunners by planning a raid for two of their prized assets in a deal which could cost €120m.
William Saliba is reported as their prime target, with Los Blancos tracking the 24-year-old Frenchman for a while now and seemingly ready to make their move. Saliba is seen as the long-term solution for Madrid’s injury problems at centre-back, capable of playing at the top for years to come.
While in North London, Madrid could look to inflict more pain on the Gunners by making a move for teenage starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly. Still just 18 years old, Lewis-Skelly has looked at home in Arsenal’s left-back slot with 37 appearances in all competitions.
Despite only making his professional debut in September 2024 in the final moments of the Gunners’ fiery encounter at Etihad Stadium, Lewis-Skelly has rapidly become a mainstay in Arteta’s starting 11 and even made his full England debut earlier this year against Albania. Lewis-Skelly can also be deployed as a midfielder, a versatility Madrid are said to admire.
Mikel Arteta future plans could be blown apart by Real Madrid if deals done
Arsenal must resist this advance if Arteta is to build a squad capable of winning silverware. Saliba is already known as an irreplaceable part of the Gunners’ defensive unit, while Lewis-Skelly’s potential is endless considering how quickly he has adapted to men’s football in just a season.
Should an offer for one or both men be accepted, the ambition of the club board will be put under interrogation. Questions were already asked last summer after their failure to sign a striker, and the sale of the Gunners’ prized assets now would be the final nail in the coffin.
Both Saliba and Lewis-Skelly could be key to the Arsenal project for the next decade, and a double raid would not only weaken the Gunners but would strengthen one of their main European rivals.
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