Arsenal 'on the verge' of 'surprising' transfer for €70m wonderkid

Suraj Radia

• 14 Sept 2024 12:00 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal are said to be ‘on the verge’ of beating a Premier League rival to the ‘surprise’ signing of one of the brightest prospects in Spain.

Although the summer transfer window has only just closed, Arsenal appear to still be building future transfer plans, with Mikel Arteta reportedly keen to have ‘two high-quality alternatives’ for each position.

That is according to Catalan outlet El Nacional, who claim that Arteta is determined to sign Villarreal wonderkid Yeremy Pino, who is also wanted by Newcastle.

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta's salary revealed after Arsenal boss signs new deal

Pino missed the majority of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, however the 21-year-old is back fit and has featured in all four of Villarreal’s La Liga games in the new campaign.

Arsenal are described as being one of the most ‘insistent’ teams in the race for Pino, with Arteta seeing the youngster as the perfect piece to complete his project.

The Gunners signed Raheem Sterling on loan as a backup to Bukayo Saka on the right wing but Pino is seen as a long-term backup for their talisman due to his ‘dynamism’ and pace.

Arsenal could have edge over Newcastle for Pino

Newcastle have also set their sights on Pino but the main hurdle for both them and Arsenal would be Villarreal’s demands of his release clause, thought to be worth more than €70 million.

However, Newcastle’s struggles with PSR could give Arsenal the advantage and the Gunners could move quickly to sign Pino before more teams enter the race as he continues to rebuild his fitness.

READ MORE: Arsenal's 10 most expensive transfers of all time

Pino burst into Villarreal’s first team as an 18-year-old and has gone onto make more than 100 La Liga appearances for them, scoring 13 times.

Current ETV

Yéremy Pino

M (RL), F (L)

Villarreal

Yéremy Pino

M (RL), F (L)

Villarreal

€21.3M

ETV Range

€16M - €26.6M

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The winger has also received 13 caps for Spain and was considered a regular part of the senior national side before picking up his long-term knee injury in November last year.

With three years remaining on his contract, Pino has shown no desire to leave Villarreal, however a move to the Premier League could prove tempting, while his club are also determined to keep hold of their talismanic forward.