Arsenal formulated plans to sign a Real Madrid attacker and Fabrizio Romano has revealed the three reasons why a move hasn’t yet been made.
Arsenal backed Mikel Arteta once again this summer and splashed the cash in numerous positions. The Gunners hope their latest batch of buys can make the difference in the Premier League and the bulk of the money was spent in attack.
Viktor Gyokeres arrived to assume the starting spot at striker. Noni Madueke adds an electric option on either flank, while Eberechi Eze will provide creativity and dynamism in abundance from an advanced midfield role.
But long before Arsenal chose Eze for the playmaking position, the club actually set their sights on Real Madrid’s Arda Guler.
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano who revealed the Gunners had formulated plans to sign the 20-year-old Turkey international towards the back end of 2024.
However, for varying reasons all of which the trusted reporter detailed, Guler did not wind up in north London.
“There was a club around October/November 2024 that was prepared to attack in case Carlo Ancelotti stayed for this season and in case Real Madrid opened the doors to an exit for Arda Guler,” began Romano when speaking on his YouTube channel.
“Something they never did, let’s be clear, and also Arda never did. But there was a club planning to attack before Xabi Alonso arrived and closed every single door.
“That club was Arsenal. Arsenal considered the possibility around October/November before Andrea Berta was appointed as the new director.”
Such a move could have mirrored the one that brought Martin Odegaard to the Emirates initially via the loan route.
Odegaard would later be signed outright by the Gunners and has gone on to become both the club’s captain and one of the finest playmakers in the Premier League.
“So they considered the possibility,” continued Romano. “But then new director at Arsenal, Andrea Berta. New coach at Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso. New life at Real Madrid starting more games, so no chance, it didn’t become a negotiation.
“But I can guarantee to you that in internal conversations Arda Guler was a topic at Arsenal.”
Arsenal better off with Eberechi Eze… for now
As alluded to, Guler’s future may have laid away from Real Madrid had Ancelotti remained at the helm.
Guler barely featured under the legendary former boss but since Alonso took charge, he’s come to the fore.
Guler has already racked up 658 minutes of action from just the Club World Cup and the opening three rounds of the LaLiga season so far.
As such, he’s almost a third of the way there to matching last season’s minutes tally (2,197) and we’re only in September.
Guler has bagged five goal contributions across his nine matches under Alonso and if he continues to go from strength to strength, it could be a case of ‘what may have been’ for Arsenal.
But in Eze – signed from Crystal Palace for £67.5m (add-ons included) – Arsenal now have a player more closely resembling the finished article.
And after three successive seasons of finishing second, it’s an instant impact Mikel Arteta needs and that’s exactly what 27-year-old Eze should provide.
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