Arsenal in battle with two rivals to sign Aaron Hickey with Brentford stance clear

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Arsenal are one of a number of Premier League clubs keen on signing Brentford defender Aaron Hickey.

According to The Mirror, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool are all preparing to battle to sign Brentford full-back Aaron Hickey. However, the Bees boss Thomas Frank is determined to retain the player’s services.

Arsenal have shown interest in Hickey before. In the summer of 2022 the Gunners were linked with a move for Hickey whilst he still plied his trade for Serie A side Bologna. It seems that Mikel Arteta is still keen on the 21-year-old.

Hickey has generally impressed since joining Brentford. The potential the full-back has is obvious, and his technical qualities really stand out. He is an even more attractive transfer target now as he has proven that he can cope at Premier League level.

Hickey deal may not be viable for Arsenal

If Arsenal were to swoop for Hickey, he would face a tough task in breaking into the Arsenal starting XI on a regular basis. Ben White is the Gunners’ first-choice right-back, Takehiro Tomiyasu is a reliable back up, and although he is currently injured, Jurrien Timber has plenty of promise.

Arteta has shown that he is willing to be ruthless as a manager, though. If he feels Hickey would be an upgrade on any established current star, he will not hesitate to make that change.

Even if it is the case that Arteta views the 11-cap Scotland international as an upgrade opportunity, the north London club still face a tough task in securing his services. 

Brentford don’t want to sell the player. Even if they could be convinced the part with him, they will want to make a significant profit on the £18 million deal they struck to bring him to the club. On top of which, the Gunners look like they’ll face intense competitions for his signature. This may not be a deal that Arsenal can get done.