Arsenal willing to pay €30m to sign 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder - Reports
Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Diaz, 23, who is on loan at AC Milan till the end of the season.
As per Spanish outlet Defensa Central (h/t TheHardTackle), the Gunners are prepared to pay €30 million this summer for Diaz's signature. Mikel Arteta wants to strengthen his team up front, and the Spain international's versatility could help him do that.
Diaz can play as a No. 10 and can also play down both flanks in attack. He has become one of the Rossoneri's key playmakers recently, registering four goals and two assists in 23 Serie A games this term.
He has an xA90 (expected assists per 90 minutes) value of 0.28, which is the second-highest for any Milan player with more than ten Serie A appearances this season. The Spanish playmaker is also being pursued by Liverpool and Newcastle United.
Diaz joined Real Madrid in January 2019 from Manchester City but has only managed six appearances across competitions since then. His current deal with Milan, as per MARCA (h/t ManagingMadrid), does not include an option or obligation to buy.
The former Manchester City midfielder's contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, meanwhile, runs till the summer of 2025. It remains to be seen if Real Madrid will be open to letting a young talent like him leave.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric's contracts expire this summer, and Los Merengues could lose them on a free transfer. Moreover, they could have learnt a lesson from Martin Odegaard's permanent move to Arsenal in the summer of 2021.
The Norway international left Madrid for a fee between €35-40 million and is currently the captain of an Arsenal side gunning for the league title this season.
Real Madrid eye Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus as Karim Benzema successor
Real Madrid are reportedly eyeing a move for Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus as a replacement for Karim Benzema.
The French icon's contract expires at the end of the season. Even if he's handed an extension, Los Blancos will have to start planning for life without the 35-year-old.
According to Defensa Central (h/t Football.London), Jesus, 25, has been earmarked as a target. He moved to Arsenal from Manchester City last summer for €52.2 million and has registered five goals and seven assists in 23 games across competitions.
The Gunners will be under no pressure to sell Jesus, though, considering that he signed a five-year contract before the start of the season.