Arsenal have locked horns with Liverpool for the signing of Yeremy Pino after the 19-year-old snubbed a move to Barcelona. The winger has been heavily linked with an exit from Villarreal amid a meteoric rise to superstardom under the stewardship of Unai Emery.
Pino, who sees his contract at the Estadio de la Cerámica expire in 2027, featured 31 times for the Spanish side in La Liga last season, directly contributing towards ten goals. His impressive displays for Villarreal caught the attention of Luis Enrique, with the youngster winning his first handful of senior caps for Spain.
According to widespread reports, Pino has also courted the interest of Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp. AS claim that Villarreal have recently become aware of the interest from Arsenal and Liverpool.
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The report adds that a big offer would lead to a 'difficult decision' for the Yellow Submarine who have one of Europe's most exciting talents in their armoury. AS outline that Pino has a £67million release clause, however it's said that both Arsenal and Liverpool have tabled offers worth €40million (£33.7m).
Should Villarreal surrender the services of their prized asset, it's believed that Emery would reinvest the windfall into the signing of out-of-favour Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovanni Lo Celso. In the meantime, the 26-year-old Argentine looks set to join the Spanish club on loan.
Nonetheless, the Gunners could hit the jackpot if they beat the Reds to the signing of 'stand out' Pino. Last year, Nando Martinez, Villarreal Under-23s assistant coach detailed the winger's rise to glory.
"Yeremy stands out for his character," he told El Pais, as quoted by Goal. "The more difficult the challenge, the more able he is to demonstrate his potential.
"He maintains the essence of when he played on the street as a child. In addition, he lives for football, and every day ensures he has the right complementary training, nutrition and rest. Yeremy has been, and is, a blessing for his coaches."
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