Arsenal had been on the hunt for a winger throughout the summer transfer window. Mikel Arteta needs to find a player who can provide stern competition for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
And it seems the Gunners were close to achieving this objective by signing Yeremy Pino from Villareal. The north London club had been linked to the youngster since the start of the last season.
However, a deal never managed to materialise, and now going into the January transfer window it seems that Liverpool are trying to swoop in. But, this should not worry Arsenal, considering that this season has proved the Gunners are further ahead in their development phase, and Pino is no longer the right profile of signing.
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According to Spanish outlet AS, Villarreal have received 'more than an interest' in a player identified as Pino. The 19-year-old winger has shone for Unai Emery's side, and both Arsenal and Liverpool have been credited as having the greatest link to the player.
Despite Arsenal’s interest in the summer, Edu must now search for alternatives considering the young wingers already at Mikel Arteta’s disposal. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe and Marquinhos are all under the age of 22, and Pino would also follow suit.
With the position the Gunners currently find themselves in, it makes more sense for Edu to target a player with more experience and who is ready to hit the ground running. The summer signings of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko already highlighted that signing youngsters with potential was mainly for the 2021 summer window, and the team have progressed since then so the north London side must now target ready-made players.
Arsenal have had an excellent start to the Premier League season. The Gunners have won eight out of possible nine matches so far in this campaign, which sees them lead Manchester City at the top of the table.
Their excellent start to the campaign highlights that they are now prepared to compete with the teams at the top, which wasn’t able to be done with such a young squad in the previous season. To continue this trend, it is important that Edu targets players who are ready to make an immediate impact.
While Pino has certainly shown excellent potential at Villareal, at just 19-years-old he’ll still have a lot of learning to do before he reaches his peak, which does not make him the ideal profile for the Gunners. It is for this reason that the north London side should not feel disappointed if Liverpool were to sign the youngster.
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