Arsenal are keeping a very close eye on FC Midtjylland forward Franculino Dju, according to reports in the Danish media.
The 21-year-old has been attracting plenty of attention with his performances so far this season.
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Franculino has racked up 19 goals in all competitions since the Danish campaign kicked off back in July.
He did not score against Roma as Midtjylland lost 2-1 in the Europa League last night, but he rarely draws a blank.
Arsenal have been pursuing him for a while
Danish publication Campo claim that the Gunners have been watching Franculino pretty much since the beginning of 2024.
The Guinea-Bissau international joined Midtylland on a free transfer from Benfica in July 2023, and it is believed that within six months, scouts from London had been sent out to keep an eye on him.
Of course, since then, other teams have entered the fray, with Bayern Munich and Barcelona having also been mentioned as potential suitors in recent weeks.
Where would Franculino fit into Mikel Arteta’s team?
Although he has played on the wing in the past, the vast majority of his game time has come as a centre-forward, so he would be competing with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz if he were to make the switch to the Emirates in the future.
It is possible that Franculino is being lined up as a possible replacement for Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian is back in full training after 11 months on the sidelines with an ACL injury, but he isn’t expected to feature regularly and it is more than likely that he will depart the club either in January or at the end of the season.
Bringing in a young player like Franculino, who would add depth to the front line without demanding to start every week, could be seen as a good solution.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here