Arsenal have reportedly joined Chelsea and Real Madrid in the summer pursuit of Juventus superstar Alex Sandro, who is already in negotiations over an extension
As per a report from TransferMarketWeb, Arsenal are the latest club to join the race for Alex Sandro. The Brazilian has been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid recently. And it looks like the Gunners are now set to rival the aforementioned duo in the pursuit of the player.
The report does iterate, however, that Juventus have already taken great strides towards locking Alex Sandro down to a long-term contract, assuring him a prominent role in the first-team setup at the club. However, there is a lot of interest in the player, with Chelsea, Real Madrid and Arsenal all following the player closely.
Chelsea are in need of a left wing-back to provide depth and competition to Marcos Alonso. Alex Sandro is adept at playing as a left-back and on the left side of the midfield, which makes him a potentially perfect player for the left wing-back role.
Also, the Brazilian could also serve as an upgrade on Alonso, due to the overall experience of playing at the top level and also in the Champions League, a competition Chelsea will surely be looking forward to participating in again from next season.
#Juventus, prove di rinnovo con Alex Sandro – https://t.co/Bz54T30NJk – #Alexsandro #Calciomercato pic.twitter.com/ka9ULRNsRg
— Stop and Goal (@stop_and_goal) March 25, 2017
Real Madrid are also looking for a left-back. Marcelo will remain as the only option available for Zidane in the summer, with Fabio Coentrao set to exit the club. Los Blancos have a glorious history of Brazilian wide defenders and Alex Sandro could be the next one to wear the legendary Los Merengues jersey.
Arsenal, though, are perhaps, the club most in need of reinforcements at left-back. Nacho Monreal, the current first-choice is ageing fast and has often been shoddy, while his lack of pace also hinders the attacking and tracking back part of the Gunners’ game.
The Gunners have been struggling lately, with Wenger linked with a summer departure, along with several senior members of the squad. Arsenal drew 2-2 with Manchester City over the weekend, and while they are favourites against West Ham as per FootballPredictions.com, it might end up being another difficult outing for the Gunners.
Sandro has 32 appearances till date this season for Juventus, in all competitions and boasts a return of 2 goals and 5 assists. As per the report, the 26-year-old, who is contracted to Juventus till 2020, is likely to cost the suitors in the upper echelons of €35 million, should Juventus decide to listen to offers for the Brazilian.
The aforementioned fee, however, is unlikely to be a deterring factor for any suitor and it could just be down to which club is the most appealing to Sandro. The Brazilian might decide to go for Arsenal, in case he wants guaranteed regular time, or Chelsea or Real Madrid for a better chance at domestic and European glory.
