Arsenal scouts sent to Real Madrid to watch wonderkid

Even though it’s not common, Real Madrid is fighting to ward off interested parties for some of their key players. For now, academy defender Victor Valdepenas is on the radar of a number of clubs, including Mikel Arteta’s side. Arteta is looking to strengthen his defensive positions by adding the left-back to his squad.

According to reports, the Gunners have been scouting Victor for some time now. Even before he had his senior debut on December 14 against Alaves, Arsenal had already seen his potential when playing for Castilla. In the game, the 19-year-old played centre-back in the youth setup. Not only did he impress in the La Liga game, but he also impressed Arsenal and several other top European clubs.

From a broad perspective, such a scouting mission by Arsenal is rarely based on instinct alone. This interest reflects the trend among top clubs to rely on detailed performance analysis and data-driven scouting. Clubs combine live scouting with advanced metrics, similar to how analysts use betting tips based on statistics to identify patterns and predict outcomes.

By blending traditional observation with statistical insights, Arsenal aims to ensure that any potential move for Valdepenas is backed by both on-pitch evidence and long-term developmental projections.

Where is Arsenal now?

Mikel Arteta’s side is currently at the top of the Premier League and Champions League tables. This just suggests that Arteta might have plenty of talent at his disposal to finally lift a cup this season after going trophyless for ages. The previous summer transfers might have played a major role in that, with huge spending being made. Right now, Arsenal arguably has the strongest depth in the Premier League.

Interestingly, the Gunners have been known not to spend a lot of money on new additions in January, preferring to save up for the summer. This might leave some of their fans disappointed this month, based on the fact that there are some brilliant talents that the team might miss out on.

However, during the previous weekend when the Gunners went on a stalemate with Nottingham Forest, it is clear that there is still room for improvement, especially when it comes to chance creation and finishing.

Scouting the Real Madrid wonderkid

There is a good chance that Arsenal might find a bit of trouble trying to convince the Spanish giants to release their exciting 6ft2in talent. For one, it would give a negative message for the Spanish to lose such talent to a European rival.

Despite all this, Fabrizio Romano, in the Here We Go Podcast, claimed that Arsenal had been on the heels of Valdepenas for a number of months now. This is in the hope of committing a coup like the one they managed with Cristhian Mosquera last summer.

It might be harder than you think!

Apart from Real Madrid being a major hurdle for Arsenal acquiring Valdepenas, there is also another big hindrance. The Spaniard is Madrid-born and has always wanted to be part of one of the most sought-after teams by players globally. During his debut, after the game against Alaves, he stated that he had always dreamt about playing at Real Madrid ever since he started playing football.

His statement just showed that it would take a very strong hand to pry him from Real Madrid. Also, the club would have a major problem selling one of their own academy prospects. However, if Arsenal can offer him regular first-team minutes, then he might be willing to be tempted.

Arsenal would need to pay good money for the young Spaniard, but that alone might also not be enough to convince Madrid to make a sale. Actually, the Gunners might be in a better position to acquire Guler, whom they have also had their eyes on. The Turk is just 20 years old and has already fallen out of favour in the last couple of months. So, could he be en route to the Premier League?

Looking at another side

On the same topic of transfers, Arsenal have made an agreement to loan out Ethan Nwaneri to Marseille for the second half of the season. Credible reports have stated that Mikel Arteta is keen on having the teenage midfielder working under Roberto De Zerbi, the former Brighton & Hove Albion manager.

It is not that Nwaneri has become a bad player. In fact, the young midfielder became the youngest player in Premier League history to debut when he debuted for Arsenal at the age of 15 years and 181 days old. Last season, he managed 37 appearances for Arsenal, being a valuable cover for Bukayo Saka.

But since the signing of more experienced players like Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, Nwaneri has just been given 12 appearances across all competitions. Actually, he has not appeared in the Premier League since November. But since Arteta is keen on not letting the 18-year-old stall in development, Arsenal have been looking at loan transfers from a number of clubs across Europe. Actually, many of them have been willing to sign Nwaneri permanently, but the Gunners are not ready to lose him yet.

According to a report by The Athletic, Marseille won the race to sign Nwanneri for a six-month loan without a chance of permanent transfer. So far, the loan amount has not been dropped, and it will all depend on how many appearances Nwaneri will make across the second half of the season.

So far, Mikel Arteta and his squad are doing wonders in the Premier League and Champions League, and fans are really waiting to see what becomes of the team as the season comes to an end.