Arsenal are lining up a loan move for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo this summer in an effort to stretch their budget, according to reports.
The Gunners have already been one of the busiest clubs in the Premier League this summer with six new players signing arriving at the Emirates Stadium.
After finishing as Premier League runners-up for a third season in a row, Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta have brought in Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and Viktor Gyokeres.
Arsenal are now looking to move on some fringe players this summer as they look to finalise another signing or two before the end of transfer window.
Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze has been heavily linked as the player Arteta wants to unlock defences next season but there could also reportedly be room for another attacker in the form of Real Madrid winger Rodrygo.
The Times revealed last week that Arsenal are still looking at the possibility of two new attackers arriving before the transfer deadline on September 1.
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The newspaper wrote: ‘Mikel Arteta still wants to add a direct left winger and potentially a creative midfielder, helping to create a style that has been noticeably more direct at times in pre-season games.’
Before adding: ‘They plan to approach Crystal Palace about Eberechi Eze, an attacking midfielder, and must wait to see if Rodrygo, a forward, can leave Real Madrid on loan.’
Speaking a couple of weeks ago, Romano revealed Rodrygo’s situation at Real Madrid, he said: “At the moment, nothing is happening today, or at the moment, for Rodrygo. Why? Because the player is on holiday and his agents are talking to Real Madrid.
“They already had a meeting last week to just present their own position. In that meeting, from what I heard, Real Madrid confirmed they are open to letting Rodrygo go.
“Now it is Rodrygo together with his agents who has to decide what he wants to do. Stay at Real Madrid and compete for a spot or leave and explore all the options.
“There are options in the Premier League, there are options in other countries, including PSG. So there are several options.”
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And now Spanish website Defensa Central insist that Arsenal are ‘seriously considering the signing of Rodrygo’ this summer with a ‘huge offer’ after they ‘previously ruled him out due to the fee the current Real Madrid player is asking for, requesting up to 10 million euros net’.
But now Arsenal’s ‘plan is to keep Rodrygo on loan for the 2025/2026 season and sign a buyout clause next summer, which may or may not be mandatory, to secure his services for a fee of around €90 million.’
While Chris Wheatley of The Sporting News has claimed that the Gunners have also made a ‘major breakthrough’ in talks over a new contract for William Saliba.
It is understood that Arsenal centre-back is ‘edging closer to agreeing a new long-term contract’ with the deal seeing ‘the Frenchman join Bukayo Saka as one of the club’s highest earners’.
Wheatley added: ‘New sporting director Andrea Berta has made retaining Saliba one of his top priorities, with manager Mikel Arteta determined to secure the futures of the team’s most important players as part of the club’s long-term project.’