Teenage midfielder Sam Greenwood has spent some time training with Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad at Arsenal, with the Spanish coach taking a keen interest in a man who joined the Gunners from Sunderland, according to Goal.
Just in case it wasn’t obvious enough already, the chances of Arsenal luring one of the Premier League’s most influential performers to the Emirates this summer look about as slim as can be.
According to The Sun (15 January, page 55), Arteta had hoped that the North London giants would make a move for Leicester City talisman James Maddison. But, with a £90 million price-tag on his head, Arsenal supporters should not be holding their breath.
Then again, maybe the three-time top-flight champions have their own answer to Leicester’s number ten shining beneath the surface.
There is a reason why AC Milan and Juventus were jostling for the signature of a Wearside-born 18-year-old last summer (The Sun). Greenwood is something rather special and the performances of a play-maker in the Maddison-mould have not passed Arteta by.
According to Goal, a wondrous talent who inspired Arsenal’s reserves to the U18 title a year ago has been handed the opportunity to prove himself alongside the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil and co since Arteta replaced Unai Emery at the helm back in December.
Greenwood might have a long way to go before he can force his way into the boss’s first-team plans.
But a player with serious technical ability, and a penchant for an inch-perfect free-kick, might just save Arsenal plenty of pennies in the transfer market.
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