€35m deal: Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly looking to tempt Real Madrid into the sale of “next Odegaard” this summer as he eyes Los Blancos Rolls-Royce star

Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, is reportedly interested in signing Brahim Diaz from Real Madrid this summer, aiming to reshape the team’s formation with this significant addition. This potential acquisition might be funded by selling a player valued at £30 million.

Arsenal has made significant progress in the past two seasons, with their bold transfer strategies yielding positive results. Despite finishing second to Manchester City in the Premier League for two consecutive seasons, Arteta has ambitious plans to elevate the team further.

The team also reached the Champions League quarter-finals but narrowly lost to Bayern Munich. Arteta and technical director Edu are determined to address these small margins to ensure a more successful 2024/25 season for Arsenal and its supporters.

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal plans to make at least three new signings. Their priorities include a new midfielder, a versatile left-sided defender, and a new striker. Additionally, they seek a backup goalkeeper for David Raya, who will be permanently signed for £27 million once the transfer window opens. This move assumes Aaron Ramsdale’s departure request will be granted.

Last summer, Arsenal broke their transfer record by signing Declan Rice from West Ham for £105 million. Rice has been an excellent addition, and finding a midfield partner for him is one of Arsenal’s top priorities this summer.

Although Jorginho has renewed his contract, Arsenal has parted ways with Mohamed Elneny, and there are uncertainties about the futures of Albert Sambi Lokonga and Thomas Partey. Partey’s contract expires in summer 2025, and despite Arteta’s public support, the club might consider selling him due to an injury-plagued 2023/24 season.

Potential midfield targets include Martin Zubimendi and Douglas Luiz. However, new reports from Spain suggest that Arteta is eyeing Real Madrid’s playmaker, Brahim Diaz. The Spanish-Moroccan attacking midfielder, who has represented both Spain and Morocco internationally, could be set for a high-profile move to Arsenal.

Diaz previously played for Manchester City from 2016 to 2019, making 15 appearances before transferring to Real Madrid for £22 million. Struggling to make a significant impact at Real, Diaz spent three seasons on loan at AC Milan, where he finally found his footing. This season, he has been a valuable asset for Real Madrid, scoring 12 goals and providing nine assists in 44 appearances.

However, with the arrivals of Endrick and Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid, Diaz’s competition for playing time has intensified. Consequently, he might be available if a substantial offer is made.

Arsenal plans to finance Diaz’s signing by selling Fabio Vieira back to his former club, FC Porto. Vieira joined Arsenal for £30 million in the summer of 2022 but has struggled for game time, making just 49 appearances, with only 15 starts, and scoring three goals. Porto is interested in re-signing Vieira for around half the price Arsenal paid.

Vieira has three years remaining on his contract but is unhappy with his limited playing time. A return to Porto is possible if the clubs can agree on terms, with a loan move being Arsenal’s preferred option to protect his value.

Selling Vieira would free up space in Arsenal’s squad, facilitating a move for Diaz and paving the way for an exciting new team setup for the upcoming season.