Greek ace Konstantinos Karetsas is the latest player to be linked with a summer transfer to Arsenal as new sporting director Andrea Berta makes his moves. In what is a pivotal summer for the football club, Martin Zubimendi has been tipped to join the Gunners from Real Sociedad and the club then have a decision to make over Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres when it comes to signing a new striker.
football.london understands that Berta is working across multiple fronts and progressing talks across the market as a picture on who is coming in becomes clearer. Amid the need to strengthen Mikel Arteta's Arsenal squad, Genk youngster Karetsas has been mentioned in regards to a £38million transfer to the Emirates Stadium.
According to reports in Greece, talks between Arsenal and the Belgian club are underway and an agreement for the aforementioned fee is said to be close. The report mentions that Karetsas would be loaned back to Genk for the 2025/26 season, before returning to north London next summer.
The attacking midfielder wowed in the Jupiler Pro League last season and he also did likewise on the international stage for Greece. A player who is extremely good on the ball and someone with an eye for a pass who strikes fear into opponents due to his attacking attributes, Karetsas looks on course to make a real name for himself in the game if he continues to progress at his current rate.
So who exactly is the Greek superstar? football.london takes a look below:
Born in Genk on November 19, 2007 to Greek parents, Karetsas came through the system at his hometown club before moving to Belgian giants Anderlecht for three years between 2020 and 2023. However, the wonderkid was to return to Genk in January 2023 and went on to make his debut for Jong Genk in the Challenger Pro League at the beginning of the following season at the tender age of 15.
Karetsas marked his debut with an assist for the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over SK Beveren. His first goal for Jong Genk came in a 1-1 draw at RSCA Futures, with the youngster then chipping in with further strikes against KV Oostende and FCV Dender EH, making it three goals and one assist in his first seven league games for his team.
Promoted to the Genk first team in February 2024 and making four appearances in what remained of the season, the 2024/25 would prove to be a breakthrough campaign for Karetsas. Finding himself in and out of Thorsten Fink's starting XI at times, which is no surprise at all given his age, he did go on to contribute with three goals and four assists in his 39 games in all competitions.
Mainly playing in an attacking midfield role, the teen sensation, who is left-footed and more than comfortable at driving forward with the ball from central areas or out wide, did also line up on the left-wing one time and also as a central midfielder. It wasn't just domestically where Karetsas came to the attention of many, however.
Back in March, FIFA approved a change of association for the player as he switched from representing Belgium to Greece. Karetsas had played for Belgium at various age levels as a youngster, including the Under-21s last season, but he elected to play for Greece, the home country of his parents.
His international debut came in March in a UEFA Nations League play-off encounter at home to Scotland. Karetsas started that game on the bench but he would be in the starting XI a few days later when they travelled to Hampden Park for the return fixture.
Karetsas, who is a real nightmare for opponents due to his football brain and unpredictability on the ball, had a huge influence on proceedings and netted his first international goal for Greece in a 3-0 win, thus becoming the youngest goalscorer in Greece's history at 17 years, four months and four days old. His goal was one of real beauty as he curled an unstoppable shot into the top corner of Craig Gordon's goal to give Greece a 2-0 advantage just prior to half-time.
Speaking prior to the second leg after the teenager had made such an impact from the bench, the veteran shot-stopper said: "He looked fantastic when he came on. He's someone we'll need to look out for in the second leg. I haven't seen many debuts like that from someone so young. It was an impressive first cap for him, but thankfully we managed to keep him out.
"We'll see what Sunday brings and he might get more minutes at Hampden. But I'm sure we'll have a plan to deal with that as well."
Scotland unfortunately couldn't deal with him as Karetsas made a name for himself on the international stage. A Premier League move to Arsenal may now be on the cards if Berta is to get a deal over the line in the summer transfer window.
Gunners fans may have to wait until 2026 to see him wear the red of Arsenal, but it could be well worth the wait given what he can produce on the pitch.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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