Arsenal are interested in Pablo Maia ahead of the January window, as the Gunners are unlikely to splash big in the winter window.
According to Team Talk, Arsenal are keen on 21-year-old Brazilian midfielder Pablo Maia. The rising Sao Paulo star is seen as a cheaper alternative to solve their midfield problems, as the Gunners are unlikely to splash big on some of their more high-profile targets in January.
When Arsenal signed David Raya on an initial loan with the option to buy him at the end of the season, it became clear they had financial restrictions. At the time, nobody thought they needed a new goalkeeper, but they sorted a deal out despite their inability to pay what was required then.
That factor will carry forward to the January window when Arsenal will have some funds but not enough to make a big splash. They were ready to spend huge sums on Mykhailo Mudryk last January but ended up signing three players for around £60 million.
The Gunners are looking at a similar window despite heavy links to sign a striker and a midfielder. The Thomas Partey injury situation may have changed their thinking already, with Mikel Arteta reportedly looking to prioritise a new defensive midfielder over a centre-forward.
The Gunners are in no particular rush to replace Partey, but Arteta wants a succession plan in place. Ideally, he would have liked one of his high-profile targets like Douglas Luiz or Martin Zubimendi in January, but Arsenal are unlikely to succeed in either deals.
With finances on top of their thinking, Arsenal could look for a cost-effective deal to bring in a midfielder. There were a few rumblings over Luiz, with suggestions that they might offer Aston Villa a part exchange deal involving Emile Smith-Rowe.
However, they are leaning more towards bringing someone with a cheaper price tag and have looked at two emerging stars from Brazil. First, it was Fluminense star Andre, and now they have set sights on Sao Paulo’s Pablo Maia.
The 21-year-old Brazilian midfielder is what Arteta needs, but he’s not vastly experienced for the Spaniard’s liking. Hence, bringing him in January could work as he could slowly work around the squad to understand how things are done here.
Arsenal would have to make a compelling offer to Sao Paulo to convince them over Maia. The 21-year-old Brazilian midfielder might open his doors over a move, and Brazilian clubs are generally open to doing business during the January window.
Arteta is slightly cautious over his midfield revamp as he also has to think about emerging academy star Charlie Patino, who continued to impress on loan at Swansea. Hence, Maia could prove a good option for January, as he could help improve their depth in the position.
