Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are reportedly keen on signing the Brazilian attacking midfielder Matheus Franca.
According to Leticia Marques, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, and Newcastle United are keen on Matheus Franca. In addition, the Magpies and the Eagles are expected to come forward with official proposals this month for the 19-year-old Brazilian wonderkid. Flamengo will demand €25 million to part ways with him.
Franca is highly rated in South America, and he has a big future ahead of him. The youngster’s progress has captured the attention of several well-known clubs, including Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, and Arsenal. And he could prove to be a quality acquisition for all three English clubs.
It remains to be seen whether Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are prepared to submit an official proposal for the players in the next few days. Both clubs could certainly use a creative midfielder next season. Newcastle even tried to sign the player during the January transfer window.
The Magpies struggled to create too many goalscoring opportunities in the league last season, and they ended up drawing 14 Premier League matches. They will want to solve the problem before the new season begins. So signing a creative midfielder could prove to be a wise decision.
Furthermore, Newcastle United have secured Champions League qualification, and they need a better squad to do well in Europe. Pursuing Franca will certainly improve Newcastle in the middle of the park.
Franca will help create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates with his close control, passing and vision in the final third. The 19-year-old usually operates as the central attacking midfielder. But he is versatile enough to operate as an advanced central midfielder as well.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace will have to improve the squad this summer. They had an underwhelming campaign in the Premier League last year, and they will be hoping to bounce back strongly. As for Arsenal, Franca could prove to be a quality understudy to Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian midfielder has carried the creative burden at Arsenal last season, and Mikel Arteta needs to add more depth to his side. Arsenal will need a deeper squad to do well across multiple competitions, and Franca could share the creative burden alongside Odegaard. It remains to be seen where the 19-year-old midfielder ends up.
The opportunity to join clubs like Arsenal and Newcastle United will certainly be an attractive option for the player who is valued at €25 million. All three clubs have the financial resources to pay the reported asking price for the player.
