Arsenal have watched Federico Valverde as they seemingly considering a rather ambitious raid for the Real Madrid midfield maestro.
The Gunners have enjoyed a stunning start to their Premier League campaign, dropping just three points from their eight games.
Mikel Arteta is giving fans real hope of returning to the Champions League, especially with Liverpool and Manchester United faltering this season.
Should Arsenal finish in the top four and return to Europe’s biggest stage, they may well be able to tempt some big stars in next summer’s market.
Arsenal have watched Federico Valverde
Real Madrid star Valverde would certainly fit that bill.
Defensa Central report that Arsenal sent scouts to watch real Madrid take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Shakhtar winger Mykhaylo Mudryk was the main target for Arsenal as they consider moving for a new wide man in January.
However, it’s stated that those Arsenal scouts ended up being blown away by Real midfielder Valverde.
The Uruguayan featured in a midfield three, starting alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos.
The presence of Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga does often mean that Valverde ends up playing as a right-sided midfielder though.
Valverde has been outstanding this season, bagging three goals and one assist in the first eight games of the La Liga season.
The 24-year-old is so tenacious, as you would expect from any Uruguayan player, but he also has the quality on the ball to make a difference in the final third.
You can see why Valverde’s energy and commitment would appeal to Arsenal but it feels like there is little chance of a deal materialising here.
Valverde is under contract with Real until 2027 having only signed a new deal in 2021, meaning Real are under little pressure to sell.
Even if Arsenal wanted to pay Valverde’s release clause, as they did for Thomas Partey in 2020, that fee stands at a staggering €1bn (£880million).
Of course, no club is paying that kind of money and Arsenal just don’t seem to be a realistic destination for Valverde moving forward – even if they rightly appreciate his ability.
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