Arsenal are ready to splash the cash on Rennes whizkid Eduardo Camavinga, as Mikel Arteta desperately hopes for summer reinforcements.
According to an exclusive report from Le 10 Sport, Arsenal have emerged as a shock contender in the pursuit of Eduardo Camavinga. The Stade Rennais midfielder is destined to leave the club in the summer, with his current contract at Roazhon Park expiring at the end of next season.
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly leading the chase to sign the midfielder, who is valued at more than €50 million. However, in recent days, Arsenal have stepped up their pursuit of the youngster, as they look to add some quality in their ranks after a disappointing 2020/21 campaign that might see them fail to qualify for Europe.
In fact, Camavinga has been identified as a priority target for Arsenal, which is hardly surprising as the Gunners are bracing themselves for a mass exodus in the midfield department this summer.
Dani Ceballos, for one, is set to return to Real Madrid following the end of his loan spell, while Arsenal are also expected to offload both the loanees in Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi, with the latter being valued at around €25 million.
Even Mohamed Elneny is facing an uncertain future at the Emirates, leaving Arteta devoid of options in the middle of the park, aside from Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, who had arrived from Atletico Madrid for a reported fee of €50 million last summer.
Camavinga, despite his contract situation, is expected to exceed that €50 million mark due to the immense success he has enjoyed at Rennes. At just 18, the French whizkid has already experienced over two full seasons of professional football in Ligue 1, offering composure, maturity and positioning sense that are quite rare from a player of his age.
From pure sporting terms, Arsenal do not appear to be a particularly appealing destination for Camavinga, especially as they are on the brink of missing out on European football altogether next season.
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However, the Gunners do have a reputation of nurturing young players, as evident by the rapid growth of stars like Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Ainsley Maitland-Niles in recent years. It could set an ideal platform for young Camavinga to showcase his talents in front of a broader audience in the Premier League.
Arsenal, though, may have to offload some star players if they are to afford Camavinga as well as Martin Odegaard, who is going to be their priority target this summer as well. Moreover, the north London giants will need to be swift in their approach to sign the Rennes midfielder, who is also courted by direct league rivals Manchester United as well as European giants Real Madrid.
