Arsenal are claimed to be eyeing a move to sign Real Madrid’s Marcos Llorente this summer.
The midfielder spent last season on loan with La Liga side Deportivo Alaves, and started 36 matches throughout the campaign, as well as picking up two substitute appearances. Aside from that, he only has three senior appearances for Real Madrid, all of which came from the bench.
He certainly looks to have a huge uphill battle if he is to succeed at the Bernabeu, and could be willing to leave the club in search of regular action, with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Kovacic and Dani Ceballos ahead of him in the pecking order.
Arsenal are said to be eyeing a move to bring him to the Premier League, with either a loan deal or permanent move with a buy-back clause included.
We have our own wealth of options in the centre of the park also however, with Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny, Francis Coquelin, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla vying for the two central roles. Wilshere is linked with the exit door, while Cazorla is expected to miss much of the season through injury, but we would still remain with a number of choices.
The 22 year-old may prefer to try and join a fellow Primera Liga side in Seville or Atletico Madrid, although the latter are unable to register any new players until January.
It is hard to gauge exactly how highly Arsene Wenger rates the young Spaniard, and how much game time he would be able to guarantee him, but the deal looks an unlikely one for me.
Can you see Llorente at Arsenal? Do we need more midfield options?
Pat J