Real Madrid, Atletico and Juventus are all interested in signing Tim Akinola with the youngster soon to enter the final 12 months of his contract at the Emirates, as reported by All Nigeria Soccer.
You could make one heck of a team out of the players who have slipped through Arsenal’s grasp.
Imagine Ismael Bennacer snapping into a perfectly timed challenge before laying the ball off to Ebere Eze. He, in turn, slaloms through a throng of defenders before serving a chance on a platter for Serge Gnabry to fire home.
A painful thought, right Arsenal fans?
The roaring success enjoyed by a number of players since flying the north London nest should be at the forefront of Arsenal’s minds, then, as Akinola finds himself at the centre of a cross-continent tug-of-war.
All Nigeria Soccer claims, with his contract due to expire in 2022, Madrid giants Real and Atletico are circling.
As are Juventus, Monaco and a Borussia Dortmund side that raided Manchester City for a teenage Jadon Sancho in 2017.
A 20-year-old defensive midfielder, Akinola is highly rated behind the scenes at London Colney but, despite training with Mikel Arteta’s first team on a number of occasions recently, the one-time Huddersfield youngster has yet to make his senior bow in red and white.
ANS adds that, because of an ill-timed injury, Akinola won’t feature at the Emirates before the end of this season either.
And, with the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Dortmund sniffing around, is Akinola about to go the same way as Bennacer and co – gone before even featuring in a Premier League match?
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