Arsenal may have been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, but Edu could still sign the best performing player from the quarter-final ties this summer.
Europe’s greatest club competition witnessed some stellar performances when the final eight teams clashed, as the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Raphinha, Rodrygo and Leon Goretzka impressed.
However, there was somebody that outdid all of these world class footballers who could actually become an Arsenal player this summer…
Arsenal target Andriy Lunin shines
Well, Edu looks likely to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, with Aaron Ramsdale supposedly keen to step out of David Raya‘s shadow and become No.1 again elsewhere – potentially to Newcastle.
A story from Defensa Central in Spain claims that Arsenal have identified Real Madrid No.13 Andriy Lunin as a replacement for the England international, and are willing to pay £17.2m to sign him.
The Ukraine international is finally enjoying the spotlight at Real Madrid for the first time since arriving from Zorya Luhansk back in 2018 – after a serious injury to Thibaut Courtois and poor displays from Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Lunin was trusted to start his 27th game of the season as Real Madrid took on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, and proved to be the hero after saving penalties from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic in the shootout.
The 25-year-old’s outstanding efforts earned him a 9.7 rating on SofaScore, making him the best performer of any player in the UEFA Champions League knockouts so far.
Decision time
You may be thinking, why would Real Madrid sell Lunin after such a performance?
Well, this is a unique situation.
Lunin is expected to return to the bench once Courtois regains full fitness, so it is decision time for the Ukrainian.
The man from Krasnohrad can either choose to stay at Real Madrid and be No.2 – which has been his role in every season since 2018 apart from the current campaign – or he can opt to try a new experience and initially be No.2 behind Raya in north London, if Ramsdale leaves.
A lot depends on what happens with the Arsenal No.1 this summer.
However, if Lunin is the preferred option to replace Ramsdale, Mikel Arteta and Edu surely won’t be put off by what they saw at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
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