Arsenal Transfer News: Jose Luis Gaya Rumours, Santiago Arias Wants Move

Despite bolstering in January with the addition of centre-back Gabriel Paulista from Villarreal, a quick glance at the personnel in this Arsenal squad suggests further defensive additions are needed.

So it’s little surprise to see the Gunners linked with Jose Luis Gaya and Santiago Arias.

Gaya is certainly a player who’d represent an intriguing proposition for Arsene Wenger. As noted by Anthony Chapman of the Express, some of European football’s biggest names—including Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid—are keen on the 19-year-old Valencia man, who has impressed with some superb displays at left-back this season.

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Here’s a look at why he’s so highly rated:

According to Chapman, Gaya has a release clause of £13.5 million in his Los Che contract, and for a player so young with such undeniable quality, that would represent superb value.

Long term, the Spaniard has the class to nail down a left-back spot at the Emirates, but you suspect they’ll have to act fast if they’re to land this coveted young talent.

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The wheels may already be in motion, though. As noted by Bleacher Report’s Spanish football expert Guillem Balague (h/t football writer SamuelJayC), the Gunners were close to bringing the player in during the mid-season window:

While Gaya is definitely a player who represents an exciting long-term prospect, the calibre of performances that he’s put in so far in La Liga suggests that if he was drafted in by the Gunners in the summer, he’s capable of making an immediate impression, too. Indeed, the youngster boasts defensive instincts that belie his comparatively tender years.

Going forward, he’s a dynamic threat, too, and has an end product to complement his ferocious vertical forays on the left flank, per OptaJose:

Gaya looks as though he’s going to have myriad options available to him in the summer, and for a player of his age, making a switch to a European juggernaut would be a massive step. For the time being, you suspect the teenager would be better suited to sticking around at the Mestalla before making his big leap in a couple of years.

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At the moment, Arsenal have decent full-back options anyway so Wenger would probably look to bring in players who can provide some cover in that facet of his squad. One player who could fit the bill in that sense is Arias who, as noted by Hannah Duncan of Metro, has been linked with the Emirates outfit in the past.

Here’s a look at why the 24-year-old is apparently on Wenger’s radar:

After shining for a vibrant PSV Eindhoven side this season, the Colombian has attracted plaudits, but he told De Telegraaf (h/t Duncan’s piece) that he quite fancies his chances of trying his hand in a more illustrious league:

"

I’m certainly at a great club and I’m very happy.

I hope to play here for a long time, though I am certainly open to the possibility that might arise in the future to play in England, for example, or Germany.

"

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Arias’ best position is at right-back, and although it’s already been noted that the Gunners need defensive reinforcements, this is one area of the back line in which they are pretty well stocked. Mathieu Debuchy has done well when fit, youngster Hector Bellerin represents an exciting deputy and Calum Chambers can also fill a void there if required.

Arias has improved his game in the Eredivisie this season, but a move to Arsenal wouldn’t suit him at this stage of his career. A mid-table level team in a top-level league should be his next target; an elite club wouldn’t be able to give the full-back the requisite game time that he needs to continue his recent development.