Arsenal Transfer News: Maxi Romero Deal Imminent, Latest Sami Khedira Rumours

Arsenal are on the verge of signing 16-year-old Velez Sarsfield striker Maxi Romero, according to Darren Lewis of the Mirror. The deal is said to be inching closer after the youngster's ownership issues were "resolved," per the aforementioned report.

Lewis believes Romero will set Arsenal back £4.5 million. This is quite an investment and would be a major sign of Arsene Wenger's confidence in the player. Jamie Sanderson of the Metro reports the deal may have been helped along by transfer negotiator Richard Law heading to South America to speak with the Argentinian's representatives.

Photos of Romero were posted on the Mirror and The Telegraph's Twitter feeds: 

Romero's "dribbling and knack for goals" caught Wenger's attention, according to Lewis. The youngster's qualities can be seen below:

Wenger looks set to miss out on signing Real Madrid's Sami Khedira, however, as Schalke have confirmed negotiations with the player's camp. Clemens Tonnies, president of the German club, told Sport1 (h/t Football Espana) that his men are working on a deal for the injury-prone midfielder.

"I have a high opinion of Sami Khedira because he's a leader who can improve the team," Tonnies said. "He has an incredible reputation with the national team. We've spoken (to Khedira) several times. Now, Horst Heldt (Schalke's sporting director) and Khedira's agent must find a satisfactory solution."

Kamran Jebreili/Associated Press

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have all been linked with Khedira's services, reported by Ben Jefferson of the Daily Express. The 28-year-old's last appearance for Los Blancos came on Mar. 10, where he played 58 minutes during the Champions League defeat to Schalke. He has completed 90 minutes just twice this season, per WhoScored.com.

Many Arsenal fans may feel missing out on Khedira is actually a positive development. His constant lack of fitness is concerning. Combine this with Arsenal's injury problems, and it seems the two parties would be a frustrating match.

What cannot be doubted is Khedira's quality, however. As highlighted below, he remains one of the sport's best central midfielders when fit:

Prior to Madrid's win over Rayo Vallecano, ESPN FC writer Dermot Corrigan admitted Madrid fans may have seen the last of Khedira:

We can expect Wenger to chase a handful of big-name stars across the summer. He is never one to shy away from bringing in young talent either, so the capture of Romero could be the first of many teenagers to sign for the north London club. As noted by Sanderson, he is expected to make the move to England in two years' time.

The Gunners are one point clear of third-place Manchester United right now and are currently threatening to land their highest Premier League finish since 2004-05. Such a result should help attract world-class players and help improve the side's fortunes in time for next season.