Arsenal eyeing swoop to sign 26-year-old star, deal can be done at £14m

Managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads during the summer transfer window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Here, Arsenal are linked with Ricardo Rodriquez…

Arsenal are eyeing a move to sign AC Milan left-back Ricardo Rodriguez after struggling to agree terms with Celtic for number one target Kieran Tierney, according to the Express.

Unai Emery is looking to strengthen his defence after we conceded 51 Premier League goals last season and the boss is on the market for a new left-back due to on-going concerns over Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac.

Tierney has been widely touted as Emery’s first choice target in recent weeks but the Express says Arsenal are refusing to meet Celtic’s £25m valuation after seeing an opening £15m rejected by the SPL Champions.

Emery only has a tight budget to work from this summer after failing to secure Champions League football and with the boss also needing to sign a winger, midfielder and centre-back, we can’t afford to overspend on a left-back.

Arsenal had hoped Celtic would lower their demands for Tierney but the Express says boss Hoops Neil Lennon has made it clear their asking price needs to be met in full amid rival interest from Napoli.

The Telegraph claim Napoli will launch a bid to sign Tierney once they complete the sale of current left-back Mario Rui so Arsenal’s initial confidence of agreeing a deal for the 22-year-old has faded.

It means Emery has been forced to look at cheaper alternatives and the Express says Arsenal are now eyeing a move for AC Milan full-back Ricardo Rodriguez – who’s been linked with a move to the Emirates in the past.

The 26-year-old has been a regular at the San Siro since joining Milan from Wolfsburg in 2017 while he’s also been capped 64 times by Switzerland at international level so he’d bring a huge amount of experience with him.

READ –> Arsenal transfer news

The report says new Milan boss Marco Giampaolo is willing to cash-in on Rodriguez this summer if £14m is put on the table, making the Swiss star a cheaper option compared to Tierney, which will no doubt appeal to Emery.