Arsenal among host of clubs looking to sign experienced stopper
Experienced Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan is reportedly interesting a number of clubs in Spain and France as well as Arsenal.
The 29-year-old stopper spent the second half of last season on loan at the Emirates, playing three Premier League games for Mikel Arteta’s side as the Gunners ended the campaign with a disappointing eighth-placed finish.
And with his Seagulls contract up next summer, Ryan is expected to leave the club in this transfer window. That way Brighton will be able to receive a fee for his services.
Ryan had been a near ever-present since joining the club. However, after starting the 2020/21 campaign as Brighton’s first choice, he was dropped for the goalless draw at Fulham.
Spaniard Robert Sanchez has since taken over as Brighton’s No.1 and impressed last term.
Ryan has made 123 appearances for the club, keeping 27 clean sheets, since joining from Valencia back in 2017.
The stopper is expected to weigh up all his options before deciding on his next switch. However, the Gunners are set to figure heavily in any chase for his signature.
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Arsenal planning midfield revamp
Meanwhile, Arsenal intend to revamp a problem position by pulling off a La Liga coup, with the side in question reportedly ‘happy’ to sanction a deal that seems too good to be true.
Arsenal have had a difficult time finding the right solution to their central midfield conundrum. A whole host of players have been brought in, but very few, if any, have lived up to expectations. Thomas Partey was the latest deemed capable of resolving the issue following his £45m arrival from Atletico Madrid last summer.
However, the Ghana international’s first season in North London was underwhelming amid poor form and injury woes.
Granit Xhaka is another to run the midfield gauntlet and come up short. Per the latest reports, the 28-year-old is bound for Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
That will leave a hole in the club’s central midfield depth. And per Sport Witness, it could soon be filled by Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez.
Citing Spanish publication La Razon, they reveal that Arsenal ‘intend to negotiate’ a deal for the Argentine holding midfielder this summer.
Doing so comes with the understanding that Partey has ‘failed to live up to expectations’.
Rodriguez previously affirmed his happiness with his current situation at Betis amid links to Liverpool and Arsenal. However, the Sport Witness article reveals a decision may be taken out of the 27-year-old’s hands.
Rodriguez won’t come cheap
Rodriguez holds an €80m release clause in his current contract. Arsenal reportedly have zero intention of triggering it, but they may not need to. That’s because Betis are said to be ‘happy’ to do a deal at €30m.
Pulling off a deal for that price would represent a 62.5% saving on the player’s release clause fee.
Arsenal are said to have been ‘tracking’ the player for an extended period of time, and bringing him on board for an amount significantly below his release clause could be deemed a tremendous piece of business.
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