Premier League heavyweights Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on 19-year-old Brazilian defender Douglas Mendes.
According to a report by Football Transfers, Douglas Mendes is the subject of interest from Arsenal. The Gunners are in the market for a young centre-back heading into the summer transfer window. And sporting director Edu is looking to execute a Gabriel Martinelli-like deal to land the 19-year-old defensive sensation.
Who is Douglas Mendes?
Douglas Mendes is the latest Brazilian prospect to emerge on the radar of high-profile clubs in Europe. A native of Tocantins, he graduated from the Ponte Preta youth division before joining Red Bull Bragantino in August 2022. Since then, he has been in the Red Bull family, with Red Bull Salzburg signing him in July 2023.
But the 19-year-old is yet to establish a foothold in the Red Bull Salzburg first-team squad, having spent the last eight months on loan at FC Liefering and RB Bragantino. The Brazilian outfit signed Mendes on loan in January, and the player has barely featured for them in the last few weeks.
However, even though he has not seen much game time at the senior level, the youngster remains highly rated, with a well-known club interested in securing his services. The teenage prospect has emerged as a target for Arsenal, who will look to beat other bigwigs to his signature before he blossoms into a top-class defender.
Arsenal Interested
Such an outlook helped Arsenal sign Gabriel Martinelli several years ago from Ituano. And they hope the method works in landing Douglas Mendes. Meanwhile, the interest in the 2004-born centre-back is understandable amid uncertainties surrounding the future of Jakub Kiwior.
The Polish international has failed to establish a foothold in the first-team squad at the Emirates. So, he might seek a summer departure to resurrect his stuttering career. Meanwhile, the Gunners have shown interest in other centre-backs, including Antonio Silva. But Mikel Arteta can mould Mendes to his liking.
However, pursuing the 2004-born Brazilian defender comes with potential obstacles, with Brexit rules complicating matters on player registration. So, it will be interesting to see how the story progresses, with Mendes emerging as a target for Arsenal.
