Journalist Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on the future of Arsenal transfer target Leonardo Spinazzola.
Arsenal have recently been credited with an interest in signing Roma full-back Leonardo Spinazzola this month.
The defender’s existing contract with the Italian outfit is due to expire at the end of this current campaign. With the 30-year-old reluctant to put pen to paper on a new deal, he could be available at a cut price this winter if Roma would prefer to get some sort of fee for the player rather than let him leave as a free agent in the summer.
The left-back may well be keen to test himself beyond the confines of Italian football, where he has spent his entire career to date.
In the meantime, transfer journalist David Ornstein has already confirmed that bringing in an affordable new left-back is the Gunners’ priority in this January transfer window. The long-term injury sustained by Jurrien Timber, along with the patchy fitness records of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu, has left Mikel Arteta short on options in this part of the pitch.
According to Fabrizio Romano, an opportunity now certainly exists to secure the services of Spinazzola. Reporting on X, he stated that the player is “expected to leave” Roma. Whilst the defender has also attracted interest from Aston Villa, the Midlands outfit are not thought to be currently working on a deal for Spinazzola.
Should Arsenal sign Leonardo Spinazzola?
Bringing Spinazzola to the Emirates Stadium would represent a break away from the north London club’s recent transfer policy. The 24-cap Italy international’s age profile would make him an outlier within Arsenal’s recruitment strategy.
In general, over the last few windows, Arsenal have tended to invest in younger players, with one or two notable exceptions, including Jorginho and Cedric Soares.
Jorginho joined the club last January from Chelsea, and has generally proven to be a useful addition to the squad. Cedric, on the other hand, has been an outcast for some time, having quickly proven to be below the standard required, after signing for Arsenal on a permanent basis in 2020.
If Arsenal do sign Spinazzola, then fans of the club will be hoping that his impact will be similar to that made by Jorginho, rather than the Portuguese right-back.
In any case, given the Italian’s contract situation, a deal for Spinazzola ought to be within reach for Arsenal this month, despite the club only having a limited transfer budget available to them. His arrival would also address a real flaw in their existing squad.
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