Arsenal face Real Madrid competition for Spanish wonderkid with BARGAIN release clause
Cameron Smith
- 19 Nov 2023 13:22 CST
- 3 min read
Arsenal want to sign Valencia and Spain teenager Yarek Gasiorowski as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his defensive options, but face competition from Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The 18-year-old centre-back has featured just four times for Valencia’s senior team, but his cameo appearances and form for their B team has attracted interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Spanish outlet AS have reported that Arsenal have been tracking his progress for some time and are hoping to seal a deal now he is 18 years old. Their previous efforts to land Gasiorowski were thwarted by new Brexit rules on signing foreign players before their 18th birthday.
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The report also states that Barcelona, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus are also keen on the youngster as he begins to attract attention from across the continent.
Gasiorowski played 90 minutes in Valencia’s 2-0 Copa del Rey win over UD Logrones in early November, while he featured for the final 35 minutes of their 5-1 loss to Real Madrid last time out.
During the November international break, the 18-year-old scored a hat-trick for Spain’s U19s in a 5-0 demolition of Moldova, despite playing as a centre-back.
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What is Gasiorowski’s release clause?
Gasiorowski’s current contract at Valencia - which has two years left to run - has a release clause of €20 million included.
According to AS, the amount of this release clause can be increased if Valencia assign him a first-team shirt number. Currently, the Spaniard has worn the number 34 shirt during his four appearances for the senior side, but if he is handed either number two, 11 or 24, then Valencia will be able to increase his exit clause.
However, Gasiorowski would then no longer be eligible to play for Valencia’s B team, which is something they are unwilling to do just yet. As a result, he can be picked up for a bargain price if any interested party decides to push ahead with a deal.
