Arsenal Reportedly Desperate To Sign Real Madrid Defender
It's uncommon, but Real Madrid are fighting off interest from top clubs for some of their key players. With their current situation at a low, European teams are trying to use that to their advantage in signing Los Blancos players.
Premier League leaders Arsenal have been linked with Arda Guler more recently, with Mikel Arteta a huge fan of the Turkish midfielder. However, he is keen on another young player currently with Castilla.
Academy defender Victor Valdepenas has caught the attention of the London club and others. Areta is desperate to add the left-back to his team, looking to strengthen his defensive positions.
Mikel Arteta targeting teenage star Victor Valdepenas
According to the British Newspaper The Sun, Arsenal have been scouting Victor Valdepenas for some time. Even before he was handed his senior debut against Alaves on December 14. The Gunners had seen his impressive form for Castilla.
The 19-year-old played left-back against Alaves but has also played center-back in the youth setup. He impressed in the La Liga game, which meant not only Arsenal, but also several other top European clubs.
The Spaniard is also Madrid-born, so loves being part of his home city's setup, which excites him. After the game against Alaves, he spoke about making his senior debut.
"It’s a dream, every child’s dream. I’ve been dreaming about it since I started playing football. It’s impossible to explain how I feel."Victor Valdepenas
His statement suggests it would be hard for any club to pry him away from Real Madrid. Also, the Spanish club would be very reluctant to sell one of their own academy prospects. That being said, if Arsenal can offer him regular first-team minutes, he could be tempted.
Los Bancos signed Álvaro Carreras last summer as their future left-back. However, Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia don't look to have a long-term future at the club. That could mean a chance for Valdepenas to break into the team. His versatility in defense is also a huge positive.
Arsenal would need to pay top dollar for the young Spaniard. That also may not be enough to convince the Spanish club to sell. The Gunners may have a better chance of acquiring Guler, whom they have also locked their sights on. The Turkish player is still just 20 and has fallen out of favour over the last few months. Could he be playing in the Premier League very soon?
The Latest Real Madrid News
Journalist Attacks Real Madrid Coach Alvaro Arbeloa On Social Media After Press-Conference
Real Madrid Will Be Without Big Player For Crucial La Liga Game Vs Villarreal
Real Madrid Transfer News: Liverpool Interested In Camavinga, Paz, Fernandez, & More
Real Madrid Will Reportedly See One Good Thing Come From Xabi Alonso's Departure
-031bbeb5612ca252e2129722373fa56d.png "Jordan Merritt")
Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
Follow jordm87