Why Arsenal should try and win the race for wonderkid Alex Luna
According to The Mirror (h/t Daily Mail), Arsenal are among a host of top European clubs to be credited with an interest in highly-rated teenager Alex Luna, who currently plies his trade with Argentine club Atletico Rafaela.
Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Manchester United, and Manchester City have also been mentioned as potential suitors for the 16-year-old forward, who caught the eye for Atletico Rafaela’s youth sides last term. United and AC Milan are the only clubs to have made concrete contact with Luna’s club over a potential transfer in the coming days.
The report claimsl that the 16-year-old would remain in Argentina for the next 12 months and then complete his move in January 2022 amid concerns over the negative impact of fast-tracking him to European football too soon.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have enjoyed a fruitful transfer window on all fronts, with Mikel Arteta making several key additions to bolster his squad. The Gunners have completed permanent deals for last season’s loanees – Cedric Soares and Pablo Mari, while Willian has been roped in on a free transfer from Chelsea to increase competition for places up top.
Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes was signed as well, while Arsenal have also signed Icelandic international Alex Runarsson to replace Emiliano Martinez as Bernd Leno’s understudy between the sticks.
Now, with just a week remaining before next month’s deadline, the Gunners should now turn their attention to strengthening their academy ranks with some exciting prospects. That would be a fantastic way to cap off what has so far been a near-perfect window for Arsenal.
Arsenal could benefit from Luna’s potential
Alex Luna ticks the box as a burgeoning young talent with loads of potential. The 16-year-old bagged as many as 16 goals for Atletico Rafaela across various age groups during the 2019-20 campaign and is due to be promoted to the club’s senior team in the Argentine second-tier this term.
The teenager’s sudden emergence in Argentina has caused a great stir in Europe, but Arsenal need to be careful with his development if they do end up signing him.
Luna has only just started to make waves in Argentina and a move to England at this stage of his career could be difficult for him to handle, taking into account the cultural and climatic differences. Hence, it would be ideal for all parties if the Gunners complete an agreement to integrate him into their youth setup in a couple of years’ time rather than fast-tracking him to Europe now at such an early stage.
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Verdict
Arsenal are expected to lose highly-rated youth team striker Folarin Balogun this summer amid interest from other PL clubs and they might as well look at Alex Luna as a like-to-like replacement moving forward.
The Gunners have some highly-rated young attackers like Catalin Cirjan, Khayon Edwards, and Miguel Azeez coming through their academy, and signing Luna as well could pay off handsomely for the club’s long-term plans.
