Arsenal have been handed a clearer route to João Ananias, with Santos now ready to consider selling the 19-year-old defender as financial pressure mounts at the Brazilian club.
ESPN Brazil’s Felipe Silva reports Santos expect to receive an offer for Ananias in the coming days and will genuinely consider a deal because they need to raise money. They have, however, already drawn a line on price.
What Santos want for João Ananias
Santos do not want to open negotiations for anything below €7 million (£6 million). That figure is not arbitrary either. Benfica came close to signing Ananias for exactly that amount at the beginning of June before the two clubs failed to reach a final agreement, and Santos have used that previous negotiation as the benchmark for anything new.
The club rate him highly. He joined Santos at 11, came through their youth ranks, and is under contract until 2030, currently moving between the starting XI and the bench. Under normal circumstances there would be every reason to keep developing him in-house. The financial situation has simply changed the calculation.
Arsenal watching while Besiktas move
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Arsenal and Brentford are among Ananias’ main European admirers, along with Atlético Madrid, but none of those three have made an offer yet. Besiktas have taken a considerably more concrete step, telling Santos directly that they intend to submit a formal proposal for the centre-back.
Two other Turkish clubs also want him, which means Santos could end up with several options before the window closes. For now, the Premier League interest sits firmly at the monitoring stage while Besiktas prepare to act.
What this means for Arsenal
At €7 million, this would be a low-risk addition for a squad that has been actively reshaping its defensive options this summer, particularly with long-term injury issues at centre-back. A 19-year-old under contract until 2030 at that price is the sort of signing that costs little and could return a great deal.
The complication is timing. Santos are open to doing business and the price is no longer a mystery, but with Besiktas pushing harder and the window closing, Arsenal will need to decide fairly quickly whether this interest becomes anything more than watching from a distance.
