Arsenal are said to be interested in a young defenderplaceholder image
Arsenal are said to be interested in a young defender | Getty Images
Arsenal are said to be interested in snapping up a talented young defender.
Arsenal are said to already be making moves over a defensive talent they think can make an impact at the Emirates Stadium in the future. The Gunners need to get smarter with their transfer business having spent hundreds of millions to reach their current point.
On one hand, yes, Arsenal have ended up with arguably the best squad in the Premier League, but they have spent about as much as they could have spent to reach this position, with former chief Edu Gaspar and current chief Andrea Berta getting hundreds of millions each to spend.
That can work in the short term, but it is not sustainable long term, and nor is it allowed under the current Financial Fair Play rules. Arsenal know they need to do a better job of recruiting top talents at a younger age, a move that will save them plenty of money in the long run, especially when it comes to finding replacements for players like Gabriel Magalhaes down the road.
That’s something Chelsea have had to do after initially spending big following the arrival of owner Todd Boehly. The strategy is starting to pay off for Chelsea, who are now seeing their young investments blossom, albeit they are not at title-winning level yet.
Arsenal are already at that level, and if they can pivot now to signing young players, they can ensure a safe transition while saving money aplenty. One young player the Gunners are being linked with is Real Madrid starlet Víctor Valdepeñas.
The 19-year-old centre-back is still largely a Los Blancos youth ranks player, but he has been in and around the first team squad this season, and he has made one La Liga appeara.ce
According to AS, Arsenal have been long term admirers of the Spain under-19s international, and they are said to be pushing the hardest to pull off a deal. Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan are all being linked, along with another unnamed Premier League side.
Under contract until 2029, it’s unclear whether Valdepeñas himself would consider leaving the Bernabeu, but if he does, it seems he will have options aplenty.
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