Reports linking Real Madrid star and Champions League winner Eduardo Camavinga with a January move to Premier League leaders Arsenal were ‘garbage’.
That is according to Jonathan Barnett, one of the most influential agents in European football and the man who helped take an 18-year-old Camavinga to the Spanish capital in a £34 million deal during the summer of 2021.
There were, at the time, understandable concerns about whether the then-teenage talent was ready for such a stage. But, considering that Camavinga had risen to fame after dominating PSG as a little-known 16-year-old in the colours of Stade Rennais, there should never have been any doubts about the Frenchman’s maturity or mindset.
Now 20, Camavinga is becoming one of the first names on Carlo Ancelotti’s team sheet, adding another string to his bow while thriving as an attack-minded left-back.
Arsenal links with Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga rubbished
“We are going to see how special he is. He’s a really special footballer,” Barnett tells Goal of a man who already has La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and Champions League winners’ medals under his belt.
“He wants to be a Real Madrid player and wear the white shirt for the rest of his life. There won’t be any problem with Real Madrid. We’ll sit down and I’m sure that we will come to an agreement.
“He is a very special player. You are going to see in the next two or three years how good he is. He is still learning in football, but he is a special player.
“I know that Real Madrid loves him in a supernatural way. He is also a great person, a fantastic person, it is a pleasure to be his agent. He also has a wonderful family.”
According to reports, Arsenal attempted to sign one of world football’s most exciting young talents in January, perhaps attempting a repeat of the deal which saw Martin Odegaard swap the Santiago Bernabeu for the Emirates on an initial short-term basis.
As far as Barnett is concerned, however, there was more chance of Mikel Arteta taking over at Tottenahm.
“That was garbage,” the agent adds. “It is something that was not going to happen. He has never thought about playing for another team, and Real Madrid would not have let him leave. He is going to be one of the stars of Real Madrid in the future.
“It was all rubbish.”
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