Arsenal ‘open talks’ over signing relegated player after deal for key Arteta target falls through
Castagne #Castagne
Arsenal have ‘opened talks’ over signing Leicester City full-back Timothy Castagne this summer, according to reports.
The 27-year-old came close to joining the Gunners in 2020. Now, it seems the London club have reignited their interest.
Castagne is thought to be keen on leaving Leicester after they were relegated to the Championship. So, this deal has a real chance of happening.
The defender won’t be the only Leicester star to leave the King Power this summer, either. Indeed, Youri Tielemans has joined Aston Villa on a free transfer after his contract came to an end.
He will most likely be followed out the door by James Maddison. Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are currently battling it out for the England international, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up.
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But now, the duo could be joined by Castagne, which will no doubt come as a blow to Leicester supporters. As mentioned, he came close to joining Arsenal from Atalanta in 2020, before opting to join the Foxes.
Now, it seems the Gunners could get their man three years later.
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According to reputed Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Arsenal have ‘opened talks’ with Leicester over the prospect of signing him.
On Twitter, Tavolieri wrote: “Arsenal are now going for Timothy Castagne.
“He is considered their second-choice target behind Ivan Fresneda for the right-back position,.
“Arsenal started the talks with Leicester City in order to find a deal for the Belgium international. I understand things could develop quickly.”
It’s no secret that Arsenal have had Fresneda on their radar for some time. But, he now looks set to join Borussia Dortmund.
Therefore, Arsenal could switch their attention to Castagne.
This season, Castagne made 37 Premier League appearances for Leicester. In the process, he scored two goals and made three assists.
A versatile player, the Belgian generally plays as a right-back but can play on the left, too. So, he could provide cover in several positions for Mikel Arteta next season.
Interestingly, Kieran Tierney has been heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates recently. Therefore, that could be part of Arteta’s thinking in regards to signing Castagne.
Tavolieri doesn’t mention a transfer fee in his report. But, a deal for Castagne is expected to be relatively cheap due to Leicester being relegated.
With the deal reportedly set to ‘develop quickly,’ Castagne will definitely be a player for Arsenal fans to keep an eye on this summer.
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