Arsenal now closely following 22-year-old whiz who recently destroyed Barcelona

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Arsenal are actively scouting plenty of players across Europe, and one possible target has been very impressive this season.

Girona are currently flying at the top of La Liga, making an unexpected title challenge with just one defeat in 16 games.

They are now starting to be taken seriously, after beating Catalan rivals Barcelona away from home, in a game which saw left-back Miguel Gutierrez destroy Xavi’s side.

The former Real Madrid full-back has been one of Girona’s best performers in this unprecedented run, and it has now emerged that Arsenal are among the teams keeping an eye on him.

Arsenal are closely following Miguel Gutierrez

A report from Spanish outlet Relevo has now revealed that Arsenal, as well as Bayern Munich, are closely following the progress of the 22-year-old.

Real Madrid still own 50% of his rights, and are able to buy him back for £6.8m, whilst other clubs are able to sign him for around £30m via a release clause.

Girona are part-owned by the City Football Group, and Manchester City are also watching him, and may be able to use their ownership connections to land the Spaniard.

What would Miguel Gutierrez bring to Arsenal?

Gutierrez is a left-back who has been operating in an advanced wing-back role this season.

This sees him push forward a lot, as Girona play with a back three, and it remains to be seen how he would cope defensively in Mikel Arteta’s system.

However, his attacking quality makes him stand out. In yesterday’s victory at Barcelona, Gutierrez fired in three shots, which included a stunning goal.

He also completed three dribbles and created two chances, with his quality on the ball standing out.

Oleksandr Zinchenko typically starts as an inverted left-back under Arteta, but the Ukrainian has been criticised for his defensive ability this season.

With Arsenal short of defensive depth, they could explore a deal for Gutierrez, but it remains unclear whether he would want to leave Girona in the middle of what could be a historical season. Real Madrid also have first refusal on any deal, so a transfer would rely on them not wanting to bring him back to the club.

However, should he join, he could provide excellent competition and depth for Zinchenko, whilst also offering a lot of speed going forward. With Arsenal’s lack of pace exposed after Gabriel Martinelli was substituted against Aston Villa, the defender could be an alternative option to a winger to add extra speed to the squad.