Arsenal have been handed a transfer boost over their pursuit of Villarreal forward Yeremy Pino with the Spanish club in need of funds.
The Yellow Submarine are in need of a high-profile summer sale due to their failure to qualify for this season’s Champions League and they had been expecting to sell defender Pau Torres to Manchester United. Indeed, the player’s representatives were planning to go to England to wrap up the transfer before the move collapsed.
New United boss Erik ten Hag overruled the club’s recruitment department over the signing of a new central defender this summer, opting instead to sign Lisandro Martinez from Ajax – ironically beating the Gunners to the signing of the Argentine international. That has left Villarreal keen to complete a revenue-raising sale in the closing weeks of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal are interested in signing Villarreal winger Pino, with Diario AS outlining how the 19-year-old has a release clause of €80million (£67.6million) in his contract. However, it is believed the club would settle for substantially less than that.
The value of central defender Torres was anticipated to bring in £45million for the Spanish club last summer and they would be hopeful of recouping that lost amount with any exit of Pino – who has developed into one of the most exciting young players in Spanish football.
Pino – who has also attracted interest from Liverpool – is described as 'one of the jewels in the yellow crown' although local radio station Radio Villarreal have described how the club are considering cashing in on their youth product – who first made his debut last season under Unai Emery.
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Arsenal have already completed the signings of Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer. Asked about the possibility of signing more players, Arteta said on Friday: “We are going to try. There are a few things that we planned that if we can do them, it would be great.”
These reports have also been backed up in Marca who outline the club’s need to make a major sale this summer in order to boost the overall quality throughout their squad and give a shot in the arm to their chances of Champions League qualification this season.
The teenager has made 77 appearances for the Yellow Submarines, scoring 14 goals and making five assists across that spell. He was part of the club’s squad that won the Europa League in the 2020-21 campaign before reaching the Champions League semi-finals last term.
