Andre Berta is leading Arsenal’s pursuit of Manchester City and Real Madrid midfield target Rodrigo Mendoza.
According to Pete O’Rourke via Football Insider, Andrea Berta is working hard to bring Elche mainstay Rodrigo Mendoza to North London. The Arsenal sporting director is driving their pursuit of the Spanish youth international, who is also on the wishlist of Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Arsenal have enjoyed a very promising start to the season. They are firmly in contention for all major titles. While everything is going according to plan, they are already making plans to add more quality to their midfield ahead of the winter window.
The Gunners have their eyes set on Elche’s Rodrigo Mendoza. The 21-year-old has been a part of their setup since his childhood days. He went up the ranks at some pace and got promoted to the first team in the summer of 2023. Mendoza has established himself as an important part of their team, and his consistent performances in La Liga this season have not gone unnoticed.
While Elche agreed a new deal until 2028 with the 21-year-old last summer, multiple top clubs are still ready to prise him away. His new contract has a bargain release clause worth just £17 million, making life a lot easier for interested clubs.
Pete O’Rourke on Rodrigo Mendoza’s future
While speaking about Arsenal’s interest in Mendoza, O’Rourke said, “Yeah, it’s been a successful avenue for Arsenal in recent transfer windows, bringing in players from Spain. Zubimendi and Mikel Merino, and Mosquera, have come in to Arsenal in recent windows as well.
“Obviously, Andrea Berta, the sporting director, knows all about Spanish football from his time in Atletico Madrid, so he’ll be well connected as well. Mendoza is a very highly rated young player having a good season for Elche in La Liga, so no surprise that Arsenal and other clubs are keeping tabs on the situation.
“I think that’s what it is right now. I think they’re keeping tabs on him. I don’t think it’s anything firm or concrete that they’re going to make a move for him. He has got a release clause in his contract for £17 million which is relatively cheap so again that would pique the interest of a lot of clubs.
“Real Madrid have been linked with a possible move for him as well but he’s a young player with huge potential so it’s no surprise that Arsenal and other top clubs are looking at him but I don’t think it’d be a priority for Arsenal to try and bring in Mendoza in January. I think it’s one that they will continue to keep tabs on and maybe come the summer it’s something that they might firm up in the Spain under-21 international.“
European giants could battle for Mendoza
Arsenal are the biggest contenders for Rodrigo Mendoza’s signature, with Berta leading their pursuit, and scouts keeping tabs on his progress for months. The Italian transfer guru has a strong network in Spain thanks to his time at Atletico Madrid, and he has already played a big part in signing Martin Zubimendi and Cristhian Mosquera.
The Gunners feel he could once again help them land Mendoza, amidst interest from rivals Manchester City and Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are also closely monitoring the 20-year-old as Xabi Alonso looks to add more competition in the centre of the park. Meanwhile, Manchester City are considering investing in the Spaniard with an eye on the future.
While Arsenal would love to add Mendoza to their squad in the upcoming transfer window, he won’t be a priority target for them. They could look to wait until the summer before making concrete moves. However, a lot will depend on how other rival clubs approach this saga.