Arsenal are set for a busy summer on the transfer front as Edu and Mikel Arteta look to make some key additions to their squad.
The Gunners have improved massively over the past few years, going from upper mid-table to competing for the Premier League title.
Obviously there’s still some work to do to get Arsenal to the next level, and the Gunners will no doubt be looking to strengthen their ranks.
A new midfielder is likely to be on the Gunners’ agenda amid uncertain futures for the likes of Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Back in January, Arsenal were being linked with a 21-year-old midfielder who has been likened to Enzo Fernandez.
Now, Marseille are reportedly making a move for said player, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that they have submitted a bid.
Marseille submit bid for Arsenal January target Ezequiel Fernandez
The player in question is Boca Juniors ace Ezequiel Fernandez, who also represents Argentina’s Under-23s.
In January, El Crack Deportivo reported that the Gunners were among the clubs interested in signing the 21-year-old.
As well as Arsenal, the likes of Benfica, Inter Milan and Sevilla were apparently eyeing Fernandez too.
Now, Romano has taken to X to report that Marseille have sent Boca a formal bid for Fernandez.
The Argentine giants haven’t yet answered as they have already turned down approaches from Porto this summer, added Romano.
ECD claimed in January that Boca don’t want to lose Fernandez for less than €15million, or around £13million.
Arsenal running out of time to rekindle Fernandez interest
At just 21 years of age, Ezequiel Fernandez already has 67 senior club appearances and two club trophies – the Argentine Cup and the Supercup – under his belt.
In terms of Fernandez’s style of play, South American football expert Tim Vickery claimed that there were similarities between Fernandez and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez.
Vickery wrote on ESPN: “Enzo’s career gained momentum with a loan spell, so did Ezequiel’s, who spent last year at Tigre. Both are central midfielders. Ezequiel… is left-footed and bristling with quality.”
Vickery went on to add: “Ezequiel might need careful handling. The youngster is still raw and erratic, and after the arrival of new coach Jorge Almiron he has spent much of his time as a second-half substitute.
“But the potential is undeniable, and this year’s Libertadores is an excellent opportunity to cast an eye on the development of a fascinating talent.”
Arsenal aren’t reported to have shown any interest in Fernandez this summer, so they may well have decided not to pursue him.
However, he does seem to tick a lot of boxes for the Gunners, and is a young and relatively inexpensive player, so if they were thinking to rekindle their interest, they’re running out of time.
