Arsenal start 'talks' over winger who believes he can be 'best in the world'

Arsenal may be interested in pulling off a blockbuster transfer in the not too distant future, with Mikel Arteta seemingly in the market for a winger. The Gunners have prioritised other positions in recent years, with plenty of money spent on the midfield in particular.

But while Arsenal already have a very strong squad, the process of improvement never stops, and shortcomings have shown up at the top end of the pitch. While the Gunners have found their scoring form over the last couple of weeks, they have struggled to find consistency at the top end of the pitch this season.

Arsenal arguably have insufficient competition out wide, heavily relying on top talents Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, and with Gabriel Jesus struggling for consistency, there isn’t a reliable plan B to Kai Havertz up top.

The winger situation seems to be one Arteta will look to fix in the next summer window, and we have already see plenty of names linked with Arsenal. One of the latest is AC Milan’s Rafael Leao. who has become a superstar in Serie A over recent years. FootballTransfers say Arsenal have been in contact with Leao’s representatives in recent weeks, with talks as the preliminary stage.

The Portugal international would cost more than £60million, and perhaps considerably more depending on the timing of a potential deal and AC Milan’s financial situation. Leao would add serious competition for Arsenal’s current widemen.

Leao on his development

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this year, Leao said of his development, now 25 years of age: “I want to score more goals, that’s clear. I’ll try to do both, the plays and the goals. On the pitch, I can adapt. I can play close to the striker, but now, with more tactical football, the teams move back and occupy the central area a lot. I haven’t played with my back to goal too much in recent years, I need space to see the whole pitch. I don’t see myself playing centre-forward any time soon.”

He added: “Sometimes people don’t understand certain things about football, but that doesn’t bother me. The only criticism I hear is from my coach, the managers, and those at Milan. They love me here, they know what level I can get to, and I know it too. I can be one of the best, not just at Milan, but in the world.