Arsenal eyeing ‘complete’ £18m talent who has been likened to Jan Vertonghen

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Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on Valencia prodigy Yarek Gasiorowski.

According to Spanish outlet AS, the Gunners have been eyeing the 18-year-old defender for a long time.

However, Arsenal aren’t alone in the race for Gasiorowski, who is also a Spain Under-19 international.

The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Red Bull Salzburg have also been linked.

As per AS, Arsenal would have signed him ‘a long time ago’ had it not been for the ‘bureaucratic impediments of Brexit.’

The Spanish outlet explains how English clubs cannot sign players under 18 years of age since Brexit. Nor can they sign more than three players per season under the age of 21.

Gasiorowski has been 18 since January and Arsenal are ‘closely monitoring his arrival in the elite’ with Valencia, added the report.

This week, the teenager scored a hat-trick for Spain’s Under-19s in a win over Moldova on Wednesday.

That took him to five goals in 16 games for his country, a ‘stellar performance’ that came after he played in Valencia’s defeat at Real Madrid.

Gasiorowski reportedly has a €20million (around £18million) release clause at this moment in time. His contract runs until 2025, but Valencia have a two-year option to extend.

This is subject to complying with a series of federative, sporting and economic requirements, added the report.

Arsenal eyeing ‘elegant and dominant’ centre-back

Arsenal have done well in recent years with signing youngsters and developing them to become first-team stars. Just look at Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and William Saliba.

Gasiorowski looks like a top talent. Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout deemed him a ‘complete, elegant and dominant centre-back’, likening him to Jan Vertonghen.

Better still for the Gunners, he has been deemed a 10/10 talent with ‘world-class potential’. He certainly seems worth the price of the release clause.