Arsenal ready to offer swap deal for Inter Milan superstar - Reports
Arsenal are reportedly interested in Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez and are willing to offer the Italian side a swap deal in order to sign the Argentine this summer.
According to Football Insider, Arsenal are considering offering Hector Bellerin to Inter Milan in order to sign Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine has a pricetag of £77 million which the Gunners hope that offering Bellerin will be able to significantly reduce.
Bellerin has been linked with a move away from the club since last summer. The defender has already informed Arsenal of his desire to leave the club and the Gunners are now actively trying to offer the defender to clubs across Europe.
Meanwhile Inter Milan sold Achraf Hakimi to PSG earlier this summer and are currently in the market for a right-back. The Nerazzurri have had a long-standing interest in Bellerin and are reportedly preparing to move for the Spaniard during this window.
Lautaro Martinez has been a standout player for Inter Milan since joining the club back in 2018. The 23-year old has struck up a prolific partnership with Belgian hitman Romelu Lukaku and was integral to Antonio Conte's side winning the Scudetto in the 2020-21 season.
A move for Martinez may be overly-ambitious for Arsenal, especially since the Gunners have failed to qualify for European football. It remains to be seen whether this deal will materialize.
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Arsenal set for summer exodus
Hector Bellerin will not be the only name out the door at Arsenal this summer. The Gunners are gearing up to part ways with a host of players as Mikel Arteta looks to trim down the size of his squad.
Players like Granit Xhaka, Sead Kolasinac, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock and Lucas Torreira are all set to depart the club, while there have also been rumors linking Alexandre Lacazette and Bernd Leno with moves away this summer.
Arsenal have already made some shrewd signings in Nuno Tavares from Benfica and Albert Sambi Lokonga from Anderlecht, but look set to be splashing the cash this summer in order to challenge for the top 4 in the 2021-22 season.
The Gunners are on the verge of signing Ben White from Brighton on a £50 million deal, while also being linked to the likes of Wolves' Ruben Neves and Leicester's James Maddison.