Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could repeat a trick in the transfer market to bring a Real Madrid star to north London on a bargain deal.
In the summer of 2021, the Gunners signed Los Blancos midfielder Martin Odegaard permanently, following a successful loan for the Norwegian. Odegaard only moved for around £30 million and has been a palpable hit at the Emirates Stadium.
Now, another Real Madrid star has become available on a cut-price deal, with Arteta looking to improve on his squad, which now looks set to finish second in the Premier League.
According to The Mirror, Real star Ferland Mendy will be available this summer for under £20m – and could well be an option for Arsenal.
The Frenchman has struggled to hold a place down in the starting XI this season, with Eduardo Camavinga and Nacho preferred at left-back – but he has plenty of attributes which suggest he could be the kind of full-back that Arteta would like to work with.
At 27, Mendy has plenty of experience at the top level in the Champions League but has the advantage of being more two-footed than the average full-back, too. Kieran Tierney has been used in that position in the absence of Oleksandr Zinchenko but has struggled to adapt to the inverting aspect of the role.
Takehiro Tomiyasu is arguably Arsenal's most two-footed player – and has been used as left-back on occasion this season.
Current Arsenal No.3 Tierney may well leave this summer with rumours linking him with a move to Newcastle United.
Mendy is valued at €35m by Transfermarkt.
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Arsenal are already being linked with a host of big names ahead of a season back in the Champions League.
Mason Mount is an option in midfield, with Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic and Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby rumoured in the attack. Both Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins and Crystal Palace star Wilf Zaha are on the radar, too. Younger stars are interesting the Gunners, too: Vitor Roque might end up at the Emirates, while Flamengo's Matheus Franca is being watched.
Meanwhile, cult hero Mathieu Flamini has refused to rule out a move to buy Arsenal.
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