Aston Villa rival Arsenal for wonderkid as Emery eyes 'elite additions'

Cameron Smith

• 25 Feb 2024 14:48 GMT
• 3 min read

Aston Villa are reportedly ready to battle Arsenal in the race to sign Red Bull Salzburg youngster Oscar Gloukh, who is attracting suitors from across Europe.

Gloukh, 19, is regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in world football and several Premier League clubs have been linked with a move over the past few years.

Furthermore, the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid have even been touted as possible destinations for Gloukh. The Blaugrana attempted to sign Gloukh before he joined RB Salzburg, but their pursuit was unsuccessful, while the Israeli teenager has previously admitted that playing for Los Blancos would be a dream come true.

In 2023, Gloukh told Marca: “I have been a Madrid fan since I can remember. My biggest dream is to play at the Bernabeu with the Real shirt. It would be the pinnacle for me.”

However, Arda Guler’s recent move to Real Madrid hasn’t quite worked out thus far, while Jude Bellingham currently plays in Gloukh’s preferred No.10 position. As a result, a move to the Santiago Bernabeu seems unlikely in 2024.

Therefore, a Premier League transfer may be on the cards.

FootballTransfers exclusively reported that Gloukh is high on Arsenal’s wish-list for this summer’s transfer window, with the Gunners scouting him during Salzburg’s 1-1 draw against Blau-Weiss Linz on 18 February.

Mikel Arteta’s side have taken positive steps towards signing Gloukh this summer, although they will face significant competition for his signature, with Aston Villa now joining the race to sign him.

Aston Villa want Oscar Gloukh

Unai Emery’s side have been one of the surprise packages in the Premier League this campaign and are hoping to build on their success this year with numerous big signings when the summer transfer window opens.

According to Dean Jones, Gloukh is on their radar. He told GiveMeSport: “The links to Oscar Gloukh are interesting. Obviously, we're going to see two types of signings coming up for Aston Villa.

“There will be a few elite additions that look to take them on immediately and try to keep them in that conversation of knocking on the door of the top four.

“Beyond that, we're going to see them snapping up some emerging talent to make sure that they are in that conversation, not just for next year, but in years to come.

“Gloukh is a player that they would be looking at in line with a longer-term vision, with or without Unai Emery. He is certainly there for the next year or two, but who knows beyond that about how managerial circumstances work out.

“A player like that is manager-proof. You would be looking at somebody who can be there for the longevity to build out over time.”