Arsenal look set to miss out on signing Aaron Hickey this summer after Brentford have agreed a £14million deal for the talented Scottish defender.
Bologna's new sports director Giovanni Sartori has confirmed that Hickey will be sold imminently, with Brentford reportedly sealing a £14million move. Arsenal have been linked with the 22-year-old for a number of months but look set to miss out as they pursue a deal for Ajax's Lisandro Martinez.
The Gunners are battling Manchester United for the signature of Martinez with the Eredivisie champions asking for a fee in the region of £43million to allow the Argentina international to leave. Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Benfica's Alejandro Grimaldo, with Nuno Tavares' future in doubt after reports linked him with a potential loan move away from the Emirates next season.
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Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano tweeted on Saturday afternoon that Brentford had agreed a £14million deal, potentially rising to £17million, with the Serie A side to sign Hickey on a long-term deal. Hickey scored five times for Bologna last term and plenty of top European clubs were interested in signing him, including the Gunners.
Whilst Arsenal are prioritising a potential deal for Martinez, it looks like Hickey will not be available as a potential backup option in the market with the Scottish fullback set to complete a medical with Brentford as early as next week, according to reports. Bologna's sporting director Sartori said: "As far as the outgoing market is concerned, the two players who will be leaving our club at the moment are Aaron Hickey and Matias Svanberg.
"Our priority at the moment will be contract renewals because we have a lot of players expiring in 2024 and we absolutely want to be ready. Next season, we want to be challenging for a European place."
Arsenal are set to add further new signings to their squad ahead of next season with Mikel Arteta keen to have enough squad depth and quality to compete on all fronts after qualifying for the Europa League last term. With Kieran Tierney's injury struggles and Tavares' indifferent form, a left-sided defender is crucial to the Gunners' transfer plans this summer with Arteta and Edu working hard to secure a deal for Ajax's Argentine defender.
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