Mikel Arteta wants to sign 23-year-old Real Madrid loanee at Arsenal next season – Reports
According to FourFourTwo, Arsenal are interested in signing Real Madrid loanee Brahim Diaz in the summer. Diaz is currently in the third year of his loan spell with Serie A side AC Milan.
The Spaniard has made 31 appearances for the Rossoneri so far this season, scoring five goals and providing two assists. Diaz has played 110 games for AC Milan in total, scoring a total of 16 goals and providing 10 assists for the Serie A giants.
According to Tocho Fichajes, Milan are working on activating his €22 million buy clause in the summer to make the 23-year-old's move to the San Siro permanent.
However, they might need to fend off interest from Arsenal. The Gunners are atop the Premier League table and Mikel Arteta is keen to build a team that can compete in the UEFA Champions League next season.
Diaz, 23, still has a bright future ahead of him. He could fit perfectly into the Gunners' team that has a specific focus on developing youth players. Diaz previously made 21 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring two goals and providing three assists.
Mesut Ozil recently spoke about his emotions while leaving Real Madrid for Arsenal
Arsenal fans were excited when Mesut Ozil left Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 to join the Gunners. Ozil, however, revealed that he was sad to leave Los Blancos.
The German attacking midfielder recently said (via MARCA):
"I really felt sad when I left Madrid at the airport. I had so much fun for three years at the club, in this city. But I didn't get a lot of game time anymore and after a conflict between Mr. Perez, my father and my agent we needed to look for a new club. I even had some tears in my eyes when I was sitting in the airplane that just departed from Madrid airport – at that moment, I realized it was over."
Ozil, though, soon became a fan favorite at the Emirates due to his undeniable quality. The German scored 44 goals and provided 79 assists in 254 games for the Madrid giants.