Arsenal are looking to land a South American star and record-breaker back in his homeland, as Mikel Arteta finesses his squad.
The Basque boss only made five signings over the summer, with Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino the headline acquisitions to add depth to defence and midfield respectively. David Raya signed permanently from Brentford, while Raheem Sterling and Neto joined on loan from Chelsea and Bournemouth respectively.
Yet Arsenal aren't satisfied with their squad – and Arteta may yet look to add more depth in the coming months, as the Gunners look to consistently compete for trophies.
Arsenal linked with exciting South American star
In recent seasons, Arsenal have made efforts to bring in South American talent under sporting director and former Invincible, Edu Gaspar, who is himself a native of Brazil.
Gabriels Martinelli and Magalhaes have been the biggest success stories, with Gabriel Jesus an important member of the side. Marquinhos, Neto, Willian and David Luiz have also joined under Edu's watch – but now, an Argentine could be on the radar.
Argentine website Boca Noticias has delivered a report on the north Londoners “keeping an eye” on Boca Juniors star, Leandro Brey, following record-breaking exploits in the Argentine Cup semi-finals recently.
Brey made four saves in a penalty shootout win over Gimnasia with the report stating that multiple clubs are now interested in the 22-year-old. Arsenal are the only one named, however, with the Gunners still in need of a long-term backup to David Raya.
Arsenal revolutionised their goalkeeping department over the summer but failed to sign a permanent No.2 – even after agreeing terms with Joan Garcia of Espanyol. La Bombonera president and Boca legend, Juan Roman Riquelme, is considering selling the Xeneize goalkeeper, according to the report, in order to raise funds.
Brey has superseded former Manchester United keeper Sergio Romero in the national team set-up, too, to play backup to Emi Martinez – ranked at no.10 in FourFourTwo's list of the best goalkeepers in the world right now.
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In FourFourTwo's opinion, this is a rumour that may well have legs. Brey would certainly be an affordable alternative to Garcia, too, who is valued by Espanyol to be worth at least €25 million.
A deal may well hinge on how early Arsenal are to market. Brey is apparently already courting other clubs and if another can offer a more appealing option than simply playing backup to Raya, the Gunners may struggle to secure a transfer.
Fans will be hoping that Edu can use his South American connections in order to engineer a transfer, with a penalty-saving specialist a good option to become a cup keeper.
Brey is valued at just €1m by Transfermarkt, with a contract running until 2027. Arsenal take on Newcastle United this weekend when Premier League action returns.
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