Arsenal are closely monitoring Villarreal left winger Alberto Moleiro over his possible transfer to the Emirates Stadium, as per CaughtOffside.
The versatile forward came through the ranks at La Palmas’ prestigious academy, which has produced several stars like Pedri, Juanma Herzog, Vitolo, Roque Mesa, and Germán Dévora, one of LaLiga’s icons who amassed 371 appearances, the third-highest tally in the club’s history.
Strong displays at the youth level paved the way for Moleiro’s senior breakthrough, with his top-flight debut coming in a LaLiga match against Rayo Vallecano on October 22, 2023. He has since become a mainstay in the top flight.
Although Las Palmas endured a disappointing campaign last season and were ultimately relegated after losing each of their final five fixtures, Moleiro still stood out, netting six times, performances that sparked widespread interest before Villarreal secured his signing.
Since joining the Yellow Submarines, his performances have remained consistent, with eight goals and three assists across all competitions for Marcelino’s Champions League-chasing side, alongside eye-catching displays for Spain’s Under-21 side.
According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are keeping close tabs on Moleiro at the Estadio de la Cerámica ahead of a possible move to the Emirates Stadium.
Likened to Barcelona’s Pedri, the Gunners have long admired the Spanish forward, with growing optimism that he could be the club’s ‘top target’ next summer, according to the report.
‘Top target’
The report adds that Moleiro’s profile suggests he possesses the qualities to pose a similar threat to Mikel Arteta’s side on the left as Bukayo Saka does on the right.
Having only joined Villarreal in the summer, his sale won’t come cheap, especially considering his form, so Arsenal will need to submit an offer well above his £26m Transfermarkt valuation.
Arsenal have been the most dominant team in the Premier League, currently leading the table on 50 points, four points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.
They’ve also extended their dominance in the Champions League, with a flawless record that has qualified them for the round of 16.
Having set their longest-ever winning streak in European history against Inter Milan the previous week, surpassing the six-match winning runs in the 2005/06 Champions League campaign where they reached the final, Arsenal also extended that run with a win against Kairat to become the first team to finish the league stage with the maximum 24 points.
Their attention now returns to the league, where they’ll hope to record their sixth consecutive win against 16th-place Leeds United on Saturday.
