Arsenal 'plotting January bid for £83m player' to beat Real Madrid to his signature
Arsenal are considering making a bid for an £83m-rated player this January – and they have Real Madrid, among others, as competition for the transfer.
Arsenal spent money without being too excessive this summer, with a total spend of around £90m.
The Gunners added defender Riccardo Calafiori for £42m.
David Raya made his loan permanent, in a deal worth £30m, while Spanish international Mikel Merino joined for a fee of £27.4m plus add-ons.
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Raheem Sterling and Neto also joined on season-long loan deals. Mikel Arteta will be hoping the additions can take his side to the next level following two consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League.
The club’s next chance to recruit will be in January. According to reports by The Boot Room (TBR), Arsenal are interested in Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis.
The report suggests the player has an £83m release clause in his contract. However, sporting director Edu may not want to pay such a hefty fee for an unproven 18-year-old.
The report also suggests a deal worth £29m could be struck.
TBR claim Real Madrid and Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham have also shown interest in the player.
The player is said to be open to a move in 2025 but could agree to a deal in January.
Reis is primarily a centre-back but has been known to play across the defensive line. The youngster has played 11 league games for the Brazilian side this term.
Joao Paulo Sampaio, the head of Palmeiras’ academy, recently gave an update on the player’s future.
“There were two teams that talked about [signing Reis for] €30 million and Palmeiras refused,” he explained.
“Vitor Reis will be the most expensive defender in the history of Brazil. He will be sold for around €35 million euros."
“Palmeiras did not want to listen (to any offers for Vitor Reis) because they are focused on the 2025 Club World Cup,” he added.
“If there is anything, just like what happened with [Chelsea’s Wesley] Estevao, it will be after the World Cup.”
“If you have a kid at 18 years old [playing at] this level… he has played as a starter in the Libertadores and in the World Cups. He is a young man with the level of Real Madrid and other teams of the world.
"These young guys want to play for Real Madrid and Barcelona.”
Topics: Arsenal, Real Madrid, Brazil
Luke Davies