Arsenal face the big question of taking a risk in the transfer market before it closes with Rafael Leao's price tag having dropped
Rafael Leao has been heavily linked with an exit from AC Milan as Arsenal searches for a new winger
Rafael Leao has been heavily linked with an exit from AC Milan as Arsenal searches for a new winger(Image: Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan via Getty Images)
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The time left for Arsenal to find a solution to their desire to sign a left winger is ticking down with just two weeks remaining of the transfer window. Efforts to sign Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior have sadly not proven fruitful for different reasons, and now the club is left with an ultimatum.
Do Arsenal push to sign a player who might not fulfil their demands for the role and who might not be a significant upgrade on their existing options immediately? Or, instead, do they stick with what they have, looking ahead to January?
One option the club have is AC Milan’s Rafael Leao. The Portuguese international had been linked with a move away from the Serie A side; however, the Gunners have so far not been one of the teams with a known interest in the wide forward.
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As time fades, however, and the options narrow, it could be that players like Leao are considered. Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport has suggested that the asking price for the winger has dropped from €50million (£42million) to €40million (£34million), with Ruben Amorim seemingly not planning to make the 27-year-old a critical part of his team.
Leao has shown in recent seasons what he can give to a team. He has scored 67 goals across the last five seasons with Milan, averaging double digits each campaign.
But Leeds United reportedly turned down the opportunity to sign the winger after being offered him. It is worth noting that the report also claimed Arsenal and Man United were also approached about the player, but with nothing having followed, it provides plenty of insight into Arsenal’s position on the player.
While a move for Leao is unlikely, it raises the question of whether the club should even be considering taking a risk in the window. If the players available are simply not up to the level, why make a signing for the sake of a signing?
That decision will be left to Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta, but the manager’s recent comments would suggest that, at present, the more likely scenario is that the side will stick with what they have.
“But that's the demands, as you said,” Arteta said when asked about the challenge of improving the squad. “I think for the margins to improve, there are very few players in the market that are available to do that and bring that to the club.
“But again, we are actively looking to improve that, and we're going to try.”