‘Keep an eye on this’ – Fabrizio Romano backs Arsenal to beat Man Utd to sign classy Bayer star

Arsenal are being backed to win the race to sign Jeremie Frimpong with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claiming a summer move for the talented Bayer Leverkusen right-back is “very likely”.

The Gunners hierarchy have invested heavily in their squad having proved they are very much behind the Mikel Arteta and Edu regime. Having finished second in the Premier League last season to secure a Champions League return, there is a real buzz around Arsenal again after they comfortably finished top of their UCL group, and will also go into this weekend’s round of fixtures top of the Premier League too.

Having given Arteta a £200m-plus budget to spend over the summer, Arsenal have more money at their disposal to further strengthen their squad in the winter window.

And while one observer is predicting Arsenal to go big in the winter window to sign their own version of Erling Haaland for a sizeable fee, Arteta is also in the market for a new midfielder too.

That need is arguable the more pressing with both Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny out of contract at the end of the season. The Gunners also have doubts around the future of Thomas Partey, who has struggled with form and fitness through the current campaign.

As such, a high-quality midfielder is likely to be right at the top of Arteta’s January wishlist, with Douglas Luiz one of his more ambitious targets.

However, Arsenal are also in the market for a right-back upgrade too. Ben White has made the position his own over the past two seasons, despite being a more natural centre-half.

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Arteta keen to sign specialist right-back for Arsenal

In Arsenal’s fluid system, White often moves into a more central position anyway when the Gunners are in possession of the ball and putting the squeeze on the opposition.

The 26-year-old is hugely appreciated by Arteta and his versatility is a major bonus for the Gunners boss.

However, Arteta and Edu are also reportedly on the lookout for a specialist right-back, who can offer Arsenal more of an overlapping option while going forwards.

To that end, Galatasaray’s Sacha Boey and Denzel Dumfries of Inter have both been touted as options.

However, they are also reportedly keeping tabs on Bayer Leverkusen’s Frimpong, who has long been on Man Utd’s list of targets.

United sounded the former Celtic and Man City man out over a move last summer before ultimately deciding to focus their attention on other areas of the side.

And the failure to seal a move to Old Trafford reportedly left the Netherlands international hugely disappointed, as per Christian Falk.

That failure has certainly benefited Bayer, with Xabi Alonso’s side currently top of the Bundesliga with 11 wins and a draw from 12 games heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures.

Gunners target Jeremie Frimpong as Romano reveals clause

However, Romano claims a move away from the BayArena is looking increasingly likely in the summer, with Arsenal now strongly expected to push for his signing from Leverkusen.

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano provided a significant update on a prospective future move and has revealed how much they can expect to pay.

“Jeremie Frimpong has scored five goals and distributed seven assists at the start of what’s turning into a great season for him and for Bayer Leverkusen,” he wrote.

“His contract does have a release clause of €40m with favourable payment terms, so there is a real opportunity for clubs to acquire this right-back. He’s doing very well and many clubs already have him in their sights.

“This is why, from what I’m hearing, a move in the summer transfer window is very likely. It’s also important to say that the release clause is not valid in January, only in the summer.

“Arsenal have been tracking him for a long time, the same with Bayern, and both clubs are very well informed on the situation. Barcelona, before signing Joao Cancelo, had also been tracking Frimpong but are now very happy with their current set-up.

“Keep an eye on this one because this release clause could make this really interesting.”

The Gunners also have Takehiro Tomiyasu as right-back cover and the Japan star has impressed when called upon this season.

Come next season, Arsenal will also have another option to return to the mix following the injury recovery of Jurrien Timber, who suffered an ACL tear on his debut. The Gunners are yet to put a date on the Dutchman’s possible return, with the former Ajax defender another player who can cover at right-back if required.

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