Arsenal seriously considering transfer operation to sign 24-year-old Real Madrid star: Reports
Arsenal are reportedly serious about signing Brahim Diaz from Real Madrid in the near future.
The Spanish playmaker spent the last three seasons on loan at AC Milan but returned to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer. Karim Benzema's move to Al-Ittihad and Marco Asensio's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) also freed up a lot of space in Madrid's frontline.
However, Diaz has found playing time hard to come by under Carlo Ancelotti. He has played just 117 minutes of first-team football across competitions this season, starting just once.
According to El Nacional, Mikel Arteta wants this move to happen as he considers Diaz a luxury reinforcement. Real Madrid, meanwhile, will apparently be happy to sell him for a fee of between €30-35 million.
Los Blancos have adjusted to a diamond in midfield and a two-man frontline under Ancelotti in recent weeks. It is hard to see where Diaz fits in that formation, given the prominence of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo Goes in the team.
Diaz, 24, is a creative playmaker who can play on the right flank as well as in the No. 10 role. There is no guarantee that he will have regular playing time at Arsenal either, given Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Martin Odegaard's presence.
Diaz's contract at Real Madrid runs until the end of the 2026-27 season. He has prior experience playing in England, having spent five years on Manchester City's books before making the switch to the Bernabeu.
Mikel Arteta shoulders blame for Arsenal star's weak moment in Manchester City win
David Raya joined Arsenal from Brentford in the summer on an initial loan deal and has since replaced Aaron Ramsdale as the club's No. 1 between the sticks.
The Spaniard made an error in his team's 2-1 UEFA Champions League loss against RC Lens and almost made another one in the league clash against Manchester City. He took too long to get rid of the ball in the 18th minute, leading Julian Alvarez to press him aggressively.
The Argentine striker managed to get something on the ball while attempting a tackle but the ball went out for a goal kick. Arsenal fans inside the Emirates were evidently quite anxious after that moment.
Addressing the moment after the game on October 8, Arteta said, via Football.London:
"It’s my fault, all my fault. They can boo me. I asked him to do that. Especially against this team, you start to do other things and you get in big, big, big trouble. He was excellent, the way he dominated his box..."
Raya had no saves to make but kept a clean sheet as Gabriel Martinelli scored the only goal of the game in the 86th minute.