Arsenal are now interested in a new target and could be ready to table an astronomical offer to secure his services, according to a fresh report, with Mikel Arteta hugely impressed by him.
Arsenal’s midfield in need of a revamp
Arsenal’s midfield is facing a key summer ahead despite the arrival of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad over the summer. Thomas Partey is out of contract at the end of the season as things stand, while Jorginho will also become a free agent should Arsenal opt not to take up the option of an extra year in his deal at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners may therefore be in the market for a defensive midfielder, but there is also the suggestion that another midfielder will be required, with Martin Odegaard’s absence showing just how reliant they are on the Norway international and, with Merino having arrived to fill Granit Xhaka’s role in midfield, there is no natural replacement for the Spaniard either.
In the case of Odegaard, there is hope within the club that Ethan Nwaneri may provide an in-house solution to that problem with the teenager having grabbed his first Premier League goal in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest and seemingly on the verge of a breakout campaign in north London.
However, with Declan Rice likely to play at the base of midfield in the future, another option who can play on the left side could be important for the Gunners, and now there seems to be a new target that has caught their eye.
Mikel Arteta “in love” with midfielder as Arsenal eye move
That comes as reports in Spain claim that Gunners boss Arteta is “in love” with AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders after the Dutchman enjoyed a strong start to the campaign at San Siro.
The 26-year-old has been virtually an ever-present for Milan when available and has repaid the faith shown in him by Paulo Fonseca with a goal and three assists playing either as a number six or a number eight.
Serie A analyst Matt Santangelo was particularly keen to hail one performance against Real Madrid, in which the midfielder was “top class”, adding that the “secret is surely out, Tijj is fantastic”.
Tijjani Reijnders in Serie A 24/25 | |
Appearances | 11 |
Goals and assists | 4 |
Pass Accuracy | 89.9% |
Progressive passes | 7.47 |
Progressive Carries | 4.07 |
Red Cards | 1 |
His form has caught the eye of several Premier League clubs, with Tottenham and Liverpool among those thought to be interested in the 26-year-old, who still has almost four years left to run on his £35k per week deal in Milan.
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Ethan Nwaneri and Martin Odegaard starred as Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest.
Standing at 6ft tall, he would add yet more physicality to the Gunners, who have garnered a reputation for just that. According to the report, his arrival is “among the Arsenal manager’s top wishes”, and he has been “impressed by the midfielder’s qualities”, with a potential astronomical offer forthcoming in the summer.
His arrival won’t be easy though; with Milan under no pressure to sell. With the Gunners also keen to strengthen in attack next summer in what is likely to be a significant outlay to bolster their frontline, could they stump up the funds required to land Reijnders too?
