Arsenal open talks to sign £18m “set-piece specialist”

Arsenal have now opened negotiations to sign a new forward, who could be brought in as an alternative to Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr.

Gunners eyeing new forward with Martinelli’s future in doubt

It may be important for Mikel Arteta to improve his options on the left-wing this summer, given that Gabriel Martinelli’s future at the Emirates Stadium is up in the air, amid interest from Saudi Arabia, while Leandro Trossard has received approaches from Premier League clubs.

As revealed by reporter Ben Jacobs, Morgan Rogers has been identified as a potential replacement, with the Aston Villa star capable of playing on the left flank, whereas, perhaps ambitiously, Vinicius Jr has also emerged as a target.

In fact, talks have already been held regarding a deal for the Brazilian, but a deal could be extremely expensive, with a potential transfer fee of £130m recently being touted.

As such, the north Londoners have also set their sights on a low-cost alternative.

Arsenal open negotiations to sign “set-piece specialist”

According to a report from The Daily Mail, Arsenal have now held talks with the representatives of Bayer Leverkusen winger Kerim Alajbegovicwith Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Leeds United also reaching out to the Bosnia & Herzegovina international’s agents.

AS Roma, Napoli and Inter Milan are also keen, with some of the interested sides planning to offer £18m for the 18-year-old, who impressed with Austrian side RB Salzburg throughout the 2025-26 campaign.

Leverkusen are eager to keep hold of the youngster, having recently activated a £7m buy-back option to bring him back from RB Salzburg, but cashing-in would allow the Bundesliga side to make a quick profit.

The Gunners’ ability from dead-ball situations played a major role in them winning the Premier League title, which suggests the young left-winger could be an ideal addition to the squad, having been lauded as a “set-piece specialist” by scout Ben Mattinson.

Alajbegovic also chipped in with nine goals and three assists in 28 Austrian Bundesliga appearances for RB Salzburg, which is an encouraging return, but he is nowhere near as experienced as two-time Champions League winner Vinicius Jr, who would be a statement signing.

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