Having completed an impressive deal for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka, Arsenal are set to pay Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez’s €25m release clause, reports ESPN.
The clause can only be activated until the end of June, and Arsene Wenger’s side are now favourites to acquire the superb Swiss international ahead of Real Madrid.
Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs has reluctantly admitted there’s nothing his club can do to stop the transfer.
“Those are things we can’t influence,” he said, amidst news of an imminent Gunners bid.
Arsenal already have Nacho Monreal, arguably the best left-back in England last season, and England international Kieran Gibbs fighting over the position – but look set to strengthen it even further with Rodriguez.
For €25m (around £19m), Liverpool should be in contention. We need to improve on Alberto Moreno at left-back as an absolute priority, but according to the Daily Star, we’re close to signing Leicester City teenager Ben Chilwell instead.
Chilwell’s talented, but Rodriguez is the finished product, and Jurgen Klopp would have seen him first-hand in the Bundesliga.
This summer we needed a battling midfielder and a left-back, and would have been delighted with Xhaka and Rodriguez, but Arsenal seem to have pipped us to both.
Klopp’s history in the transfer record is brilliant, but also unorthodox. He rarely targets big names, but instead wants young players with the right attitude and the capacity to improve.
We’ve so far secured Marko Grujic, Loris Karius and Joel Matip for a combined fee of under £10m, but are eagerly awaiting our first blockbuster move of the summer.