- 11 hours ago
Mikel Arteta makes UNEXPECTED Arsenal transfer demand
Robin Bairner
- 7 Mar 2025 06:45 GMT
- 2 min read
News
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has a long transfer shortlist ahead of the summer, topped by Benjamin Sesko. But the Gunners boss has just added another name to his shopping list.
Club Brugge left-back Maxim De Cuyper has attracted interest from the Emirates side, who are ready to make a move in the summer, Fichajes reports.
READ MORE: Arsenal and Chelsea open transfer talks as Man Utd star blasts Amorim
Current ETV
Maxim De Cuyper
D (L)
Brugge
Maxim De Cuyper
D (L)
Brugge
ETV Range
€14M - €17.1M
Competition is likely to come from West Ham United, while Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also tracking the 24-year-old Belgium international.
The left-back area was not thought to be a particular area of priority for Arsenal ahead of the summer, yet with Kieran Tierney and Jakub Kiwior set to leave, Arteta appears intent on finding backup for Riccardo Calafiori.
De Cuyper is a more attack-minded player than the Italian, boasting a profile that offers both speed and stamina. Using these attributes, he has one goal and five assists in the Jupiler Pro League this season. Indeed, according to data analytics firm SciSports, he has been the best full-back in Belgium’s top flight.
On top of this, he has gained a wealth of Champions League experience as Club Brugge have progressed to the last 16 of the competition, knocking Atalanta out of the competition along the way.
Compared
Maxim De Cuyper
D (L)
Brugge
Maxim De Cuyper
D (L)
Brugge
VS
Riccardo Calafiori
D (CL)
Arsenal
Riccardo Calafiori
D (CL)
Arsenal
2024/2025
Season Statistics
2024/2025
| 44 | Appearances | 27 |
| 3 | Goals | 3 |
| 5 | Assists | 2 |
| 30 | Interceptions | 17 |
| 80 | Tackles | 38 |
| 30 | Fouls | 28 |
| 5 | Yellow Cards | 6 |
A bargain option
De Cuyper is unlikely to be a particularly expensive option in this area for the Gunners, who will need to keep costs down due to a desire to spend big elsewhere in the team. For example, FootballTransfers understands that Arteta wants to add both Ollie Watkins and Benjamin Sesko to his squad to increase his attacking options.
The Belgian has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €15.5 million.
It may well be that he leaves Brugge for a greater figure than this given the number of Premier League clubs tracking him while he also has a contract in Belgium that expires in June 2028.
