Don't Miss

Arsenal Eye Move For €24m Croatian International – Report

By mac14 on March 18, 2015

Arsenal are eyeing a move for €24m-rated Inter Milan ace Mateo Kovacic this summer but will need to offload Mikel Arteta in order to make room for the midfielder.

That’s according to the Express, who claim that Arsene Wenger has identified the Croatian international as a potential new recruit as he looks to strengthen the squad after another disappointing Champions League exit.

The newspaper suggests that Inter Milan value Koavcic at €24m (£17.2m) and although we have the money to finance such a deal, we’ll first need to release Arteta in order to make room in the squad.

Mikel is out of contract in the summer and while there have been strong rumours suggesting he’s agreed a one-year extension, no deal has been signed as yet and reports claim David Moyes wants to take him back to Real Sociedad.

If it’s first team football Arteta wants during the final years of his career, then it’s probably best we say our goodbyes at the end of the season and it appears Kovacic is being lined-up as a replacement.

The 20-year-old has been in impressive form for Inter over the past 18 months and despite his tender age, he’s already racked up almost 20 caps for the senior Croatian national team.

He’s certainly a huge talent and can act as a deep-lying playmaker in front of the defence or as a typical box-to-box midfielder, so he’d give Arsene options in the middle of the park.

Another midfielder is almost certain to come in this summer and while my preferred choice is still Morgan Schneiderlin, Kovacic could be an interesting option if we can’t get a deal agreed for the Southampton star.