Arsenal are hot on the tail of a starlet compared to Pedri as they look to bolster their midfield with young talent. The Gunners have lodged a €20 million bid for Crvena Zvezda technician Vasilije Kostov, according to reports from Serbia. Arsenal remain keen on bringing in the 17-year-old playmaker, though links continue to surface amid competition from Inter Milan, Marseille and Bayern Munich.
Having showcased the young talent they have in their ranks at the weekend, as Arsenal became the first club to field two players aged 16 or younger in an XI, beating Mansfield Town 2-1 in the FA Cup fifth round, it appears the North Londoners are making youth a keen focus going forward. Cult centre-back Per Mertesacker recently stepped down as Academy Manager at Hale End, and summer transfer plans could well include younger players as manager Mikel Arteta adds quality to his side.
There is an understanding that Arsenal will not be looking to make as many signings as they did last summer, eight, but will be focusing on bringing in young talents to compete for places at right-back and in midfield. Ben White has struggled with injury once again this season to leave Jurrien Timber as an almost ever-present, while summer signing Christian Norgaard has shadowed Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice without having started a single game for the Gunners in the League.
Arsenal confirm €20m bid for Vasilije Kostov
Sport Witness have relayed reports from Mozzart Sport in Serbia that cover the Gunners’ place in a race for the teen’s signature alongside Inter Milan and Marseille. The claim is made that a €20 million bid has already been lodged by the Premier League leaders. In January, Red Star Belgrade’s General Director Zvezdan Terzic confirmed to football.london that such an offer had been made, but stopped short of revealing which club had made the bid.
Kostov has already hit the headlines in Serbia for becoming the youngest-ever scorer in Belgrade’s Eternal Derby against Partizan. The 17-year-old playmaker made his senior international debut for Serbia in October last year. His performances have attracted attention from across Europe’s elite clubs.
Inter Milan hold advantage in Kostov race
It is believed that Inter may well have the upper hand in dealing with Red Star Belgrade, due to manager Dejan Stankovic’s nine-year stint as a player with the Nerazzurri. Bayern Munich are also said to be monitoring the star. Arsenal face stiff competition for a player who represents exceptional value at €20 million.
The Gunners remain keen on bringing in Ayoub Bouaddi, hailed as Ligue 1’s next big thing, though links with Kostov continue to surface. Arsenal are exploring multiple options to strengthen their midfield depth for the future.
Questions over Arsenal midfield priorities
An Arsenal move at this time, however, feels premature, given that the Gunners have the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly from their own academy setup competing for spots in midfield. Lewis-Skelly has made 26 appearances for the Gunners this season, all at left-back, and is yet to start in the centre of the park for Arteta, though he was set to play there against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup earlier this season, before Riccardo Calafiori picked up an injury in the warm-up.
Arsenal must decide whether adding another young midfielder makes sense given their existing talent pool. Kostov clearly possesses ability, but integrating him alongside Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly could create complications. The coming weeks will reveal whether Arsenal press ahead with their €20 million bid or focus their resources elsewhere during the summer transfer window.
