Arsenal are reportedly in pole position ahead of Bayern Munich to sign Cengiz Under from Serie A outfit AS Roma.
According to a report by ForzaRoma.info, Arsenal are the favourites to secure the services of AS Roma forward Cengiz Under. The Serie A outfit are also bracing themselves for a bid from Bayern Munich, who are willing to offer €50 million to land the Turkish wonderkid.
Cengiz Under has turned out to become the latest superstar from Turkey, usurping Emre Mor to become the flagbearer of Turkish football. His star has only been ascending since AS Roma facilitated his passage into Serie A in the summer of 2017, with the player establishing himself as a key figure at Stadio Olimpico since then.
This season, Under has featured 8 times for Roma, with a solid record of two goals and four assists to show for his efforts. His advent in Serie A football hasn’t gone unnoticed either, with Arsenal and Bayern Munich keeping a close eye on his progress for some time now.
The interest from Arsenal makes a great deal of sense. While the Gunners have not found goals hard to come by, they are bereft of a natural winger, with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alex Iwobi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Danny Welbeck instead being deployed out wide. As a result, they have been linked with a number of wingers of late.
Under’s ability to not just use his change of pace smartly, but also link up and set up his teammates intelligently are qualities that can make him an ideal foil for the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette and Aubameyang – the current first-choice attackers for Arsenal.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, need to draw a succession plan for Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, who are well into the twilight of their respective careers. At the present moment, Kingsley Coman and Arsenal academy graduate Serge Gnabry are the only alternatives to the veteran duo.
Roma though, are desperate to keep hold of their prized asset by offering him a bumper new deal that will bump up his wages considerably. But, the report suggests that Arsenal and Bayern Munich will offer terms that will surpass those being tabled by the Serie A giants.
If they do sell Under, a move will only see the light of the day if their valuation is met. Arsenal have previously had a €30 million bid knocked back by Roma and are now pondering a fresh offer. Bayern, on the other hand, are ready to shell out €50 million to sign the 21-year-old.
The potential offer is closer to Roma’s valuation of the player, whose sale will also see Istanbul Basaksehir pocket 20 per cent from his sale. The report though, suggests that Arsenal are leading the race to sign Under, which suggests their offer might trump Bayern’s.
It’s still early days in the race to sign Cengiz Under, who continues to make waves in Serie A with his displays. It now remains to be seen if Arsenal indeed succeed in landing the Turkish superstar, or if Bayern Munich can usurp the Gunners instead.
