Arsenal have sent scouts to watch Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall multiple times according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT, the Italian journalist confirms that the Gunners are among three or four clubs who have shown an interest in Dewsbury-Hall.
Dewsbury-Hall has undoubtedly been one of the best-performing players in the Championship this campaign and is destined to return to the Premier League in the near future, whether that be through a transfer or Leicester gaining promotion back to the top flight. The 25-year-old has flourished in the second tier, but there’s no doubt if he continues this level of performance he will be a valuable asset in the Premier League.
The Gunners have had a quiet transfer window so far in January and might not expect to be too busy in the final few days, but they will still be planning targets for the summer.
Dewsbury-Hall attracting interest
According to The Athletic, Brighton & Hove Albion are in negotiations with Leicester to try and sign Dewsbury-Hall in the winter window. The Foxes are demanding a fee that is above Brighton’s current valuation, so a deal is far from being completed as it stands. The report adds that Arsenal and Fulham are also admirers of the 25-year-old, but the Seagulls are the leading contenders at the moment.
Dewsbury-Hall missed Leicester’s game against Birmingham City at the weekend in the FA Cup, less than 24 hours after news broke that Brighton were interested in him. Undoubtedly, fans of the Foxes would have been worried, and manager Enzo Maresca addressed the situation after the game when asked about the future of Dewsbury-Hall…
“No. The reason why he was not in the squad was because we gave him, Harry Winks, and Jannik a rest for Tuesday’s game. This is a question for the club, not for me. We have talked about the transfer window for sure, but it’s not a question for me.”
The Midlands outfit could be reluctant to offload Dewsbury-Hall in the middle of the season when they are chasing promotion, so the Gunners might have to wait until the summer to make a move, unless Brighton managed to storm ahead in the race and secure his signature before the deadline on Thursday.
Fabrizio Romano – Arsenal scout Dewsbury-Hall
Romano has confirmed that Arsenal have sent scouts to watch the English midfielder multiple times this season, but they are among three or four clubs to have done so. The Italian journalist adds that Brighton are the most likely to secure his signature this window, but Leicester are set to demand in the region of £40m to allow him to depart. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Romano said…
“From what I heard, they have sent some scouts multiple times to follow him, because they believe he is very talented. Also, other clubs did the same, so not just Arsenal. I think it’s three or four clubs doing the same. The only proposal came from Brighton. From what I heard, they offered around £20m for him with some add-ons included in the proposal. This is still not enough to convince Leicester because they have always wanted around £40m for Dewsbury-Hall, so I think it’s not going to be that easy. The best candidate to sign the player in the final days is Brighton more than Arsenal in this moment.”
Mikel Arteta future update
On Sunday evening, reports in Spain suggested that Mikel Arteta was considering leaving his position as manager at the end of the season. Understandably, Arsenal fans began to panic, especially with the managerial role at Barcelona set to be vacated by Xavi Hernandez in the summer – Arteta came through the academy at Camp Nou.
However, Sky Sports were quick to throw cold water on the rumours, claiming that Arteta has no plans to depart the Emirates Stadium ahead of the next campaign. After missing out on the Premier League title last term, you’d imagine the Spanish manager has unfinished business in north London.