Arsenal set to pounce for £17.5m defender who’s also attracted Real Madrid and Barcelona
Valencia defender Yarek Gasiorowski and Real Madrid midfielder Nico Paz
Arsenal are refusing to lose sight of centre-back target Yarek Gasiorowski, according to reports in Spain – although Valencia could make a move to increase his value.
According to AS, Arsenal have been monitoring Gasiorowski for a long time. Only because of Brexit regulations were they unable to bring him in before he turned 18 in January. Now, they are allowed to sign him – if they can pay the appropriate fee and beat competition from several other suitors.
Gasiorowski has been brought in on three La Liga matches so far this season for Valencia, while he recently started a Copa Del Rey match. Mainly, though, he has been developing with the B team.
Throughout his development, the defender has been eyed by some elite suitors. As stated, Arsenal have been wanting to add him to their setup for a while.
Other interested parties have included Barcelona, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus, per the report.
Any of them would be able to sign Gasiorowski by activating his release clause, which currently stands at €20m or £17.5m.
However, Valencia can automatically increase his exit clause by assigning him one of the squad numbers of their first team. All of his appearances so far this season have been with the no.34 on his back.
If Valencia give him any of the vacant no.2, no.11 or no.24 shirts instead, it would enable them to raise the asking price. However, the downside would be that he would no longer be eligible to play in reserve matches.
Therefore, Valencia are not yet ready to take such action, which means he is still available for the €20m fee as things stand.
Valencia have Gasiorowski contract option
Gasiorowski’s contract with Los Che is due to run until the end of next season, but his employers have an option to extend it until 2027.
The left-footer, who also has Polish citizenship, has represented Spain up to under-19 level internationally and remarkably even scored a hat-trick for them against their Moldovan counterparts in a 5-0 win earlier this week.
Currently, Mikel Arteta has Gabriel Magalhaes and Jakub Kiwior available to pick from as the left-footed centre-backs in his Arsenal squad, although the Poland international has been linked with a loan move away in January, just 12 months after he joined from Spezia.
Whether Arsenal would be planning to sign Gasiorowski at a similar time – and even to use him for their own first team – remains to be seen.