Arsenal have apparently made it clear they will bid for an £80 million midfielder who Declan Rice lavished with praise last year.
Arteta's desire to sign new midfielder for Arsenal
Over the past six months, reports have suggested that manager Mikel Arteta has a real desire to bring in a new central midfielder.
Arsenal flop was compared to Saka after signing but now he's set to leave
One young Arsenal player was compared to Saka after signing but now he’s on the verge of leaving.
ByMatt DawsonFeb 13, 2024
Noise will continue to surround the likes of Brentford star Ivan Toney amid Arsenal's widely reported hunt for a striker this summer, but the engine room is something which sporting director Edu and Arteta clearly wish to address.
Some rumours surfaced over the January window that Arsenal opened talks to sign Everton star Amadou Onana as one option, but that move failed to materialise.
Both Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny are out of contract at the end of this season, which would leave Arteta desperately short of midfield options, while Thomas Partey has been linked with an exit from Arsenal as well.
Bukayo Saka
7.65
Declan Rice
7.31
Martin Odegaard
7.22
Gabriel Jesus
7.07
Gabriel Martinelli
7.01
It could be an interesting few months ahead behind-the-scenes, as Arsenal also look to seal their first league title in 20 years. Off the field, Edu is constantly at work on planning to strengthen Arteta's squad, and some news has now come to light about their interest in West Ham star Lucas Paqueta.
Arsenal "clear" they will bid for Paqueta
According to West Ham insider Claret & Hugh, Arsenal have made it clear they will bid for Paqueta once the Brazilian is clear of all charges regarding his investigation for breaching gambling laws.
The midfielder, whose contract includes an £80 million buy-out clause, has professed innocence. However, the longer this goes on, it is less likely he'll be able to seal a move to Man City.
Arsenal are waiting in the wings for Paqueta, as are three other English clubs with the north Londoners and City. The 26-year-old is currently West Ham's best-performing player by average match rating according to WhoScored, having impressed over his 18 domestic starts, but is out injured at the moment.
Rice, during his final few months at West Ham, branded Paqueta a player of "mind-boggling" quality.
“He’s incredible, honestly, he’s absolutely incredible,” Rice said.
“It’s obviously taken him a while to settle into the Premier League and into the training ground, moving his family over. I think now you’re seeing the real Lucas. Some of the stuff he does, even in training, it’s just mind-boggling how good he is.”