Arsenal are right to be watching former academy player and now USMNT star midfielder Yunus Musah, says Eric Wynalda. The 20-year-old was one of the standout players for Gregg Berhalter's USA team at the World Cup but had been gaining attention long before that.
It was initially reported that the Gunners were amongst the sides keen to sign Musah from Valencia last summer but his mammoth £86m ($108.2m) release clause was a stumbling block. It comes as even more of a hit for Arsenal after he was only let go in 2019 having never played for the first team.
Since moving to Spain, he has found a new home and also a place to demonstrate his skills in midfield. This is not the first time there has been a fight for his services either given England were keen to add him to their senior squad in 2021.
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Musah played for England's youth sides as a boy but committed himself to the USMNT ahead of the World Cup having played for their men's team in 2020. Now it is club sides bidding to get him snapped up and Wynalda believes Arsenal are right to be tracking him.
"Musah is not in a good spot at the moment with Valencia however his performances have been enough to warrant interest," the 106-cap USMNT international said, speaking on The Action Network's Wondergoal Podcast.
"Musah is on a 'list' of players that Arsenal are targeting but certainly is not at the top of the list. There are several other targets that still hold the upper hand as far as they are concerned. He’s a backup plan to a backup plan."
His agent has also previously revealed interest in the player from across Europe, expressing the price for which he could be sold for. "It's difficult to say now, Valencia intend to block and I don't think they will sell him for less than 30/40 million next summer," Giacomo Guidolin said in November.
"They will still try to hold on, but faced with certain figures it's difficult to refuse. Last summer Barcelona also carried out a survey, but the discussion did not develop. To date I see Serie A and the Premier League having an advantage for his future."
Meanwhile Arsenal are also keen to add Declan Rice to their squad as they look to bring further depth and quality to Mikel Arteta's armoury. The centre of the park is a clear area for improvement despite signing Jorginho in January.
Fabio Vieira's struggles in his first season has meant there is a newfound need to pursue options in midfield this summer and Musah's playstyle, age profile and character all appear to fit the bill for the Gunners, making him an understandable candidate for the role.
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