According to Jorge Nicola, Arsenal are interested in signing Gremio wonderkid Vanderson, who recently went viral.
What’s the story?
Well, Nicola – who left ESPN earlier this year and now works for Yahoo – revealed on YouTube that Vanderson has caught Arsenal’s eye.
That comes as no surprise to us.
The 19-year-old recently went viral after scoring a quite incredible goal from right-back, in which he looked more like Neymar than a defender.
Vanderson can be seen cutting in from the right.
When approached by two defenders, he then performs a brilliant roulette to evade trouble, before playing a neat one-two with his teammate.
With the composure of an experienced striker, Vanderson then slots home with ease.
Exactly what Arsenal need
If there’s one thing Mikel Arteta needs at the Emirates Stadium, it’s a right-back.
Héctor Bellerín could depart north London this summer, which would leave Calum Chambers and Cedric as Arteta’s only options.
Neither of them have shown enough to be among the first names on Arteta’s teamsheet, and it does seem like a new option is being pursued.
Arsenal have been linked with moves for Emerson Royal and Tariq Lamptey, both of whom would bolster the right-back department.
You could argue that Vanderson isn’t what Arsenal need, as he’s inexperienced and would need time.
However, the same could’ve been said about Gabriel Martinelli, but he took to life in England like a duck to water.
As revealed by GE, Vanderson has just signed a new contract with a €100 million release clause (£86 million).
That could prove problematic. However, in a market hit by COVID-19, we would presume that Gremio are willing to negotiate on that sum.
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