Arsenal are reportedly interested in Norwegian teenage midfielder Sivert Mannsverk who is on the radar of a host of clubs in England and across Europe.
According to a report from Italian publication La Lazio Siamo Noi, Arsenal are among a host of clubs across Europe monitoring 18-year-old midfielder Sivert Mannsverk who plays Norwegian second division side Sogndal IL.
A product of the club’s youth setup, Mannsverk made his first-team debut for Sogndal in 2019 and has since grown into a regular member of the team. In fact, despite being just 18 years old, the midfielder was named the club captain for the 2020 season and helped the team to the third place in the league, leading them to the cusp of promotion.
So far, Mannsverk has made 47 senior appearances for the club, scoring five goals and setting up six more. As per the report, the 18-year-old has been compared to Sheffield United’s Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge – a player who has been previously linked with Arsenal. The Gunners have now also cast their glances towards Mannverk.
Arsenal’s midfield unit hasn’t been firing on all cylinders this term, with Dani Ceballos failing to make the desired impact since returning for another loan spell from Real Madrid while Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka have also underwhelmed.
Thomas Partey did arrive in the summer but has had an injury-riddled stint so far while Joe Willock hasn’t gotten a lot of opportunities in the Premier League, even though he has done fairly well in the UEFA Europa League. Nevertheless, with Ceballos’ future uncertain, a new midfielder in January or in the summer would be a sensible signing for Arsenal.
While Mannsverk might not be the biggest name out there, the 18-year-old has shown a lot of potential. Furthermore, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shown the propensity to back youth players coming through the ranks and has reaped great benefits from it, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and more recently Emile Smith Rowe impressing.
However, Arsenal will have to battle Serie A heavyweights Lazio for the signing of Mannsverk, who are reported to have already made contact with the midfielder’s representatives. In addition, there is also interest from the likes of Bologna and Ajax while fellow Premier League clubs Brighton and Aston Villa are also keeping tabs on the teenager.
The report claims that Mannsverk is likely to cost a little under €2 million. It remains to be seen if Arsenal’s touted interested in the Norwegian sensation leads to something substantial in the coming weeks.
