Report: Arsenal quoted £36m for technically gifted 23-year-old – but there’s a sticking point

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Arsenal are reportedly unwilling to spend £36million on Valencia ace Carlos Soler and want the price tag reduced before making a concrete move for the player, according to The Express.

A report in The Mirror from February claimed that the 23-year-old is high up on Arsenal’s wishlist, despite having signed a new contract at the club just before Christmas.

The outlet claimed that the Gunners have already laid out the groundwork by registering their interest to Valencia before the January window and will revisit the interest in the summer.

Soler, a dynamic and technically gifted playmaker, is one of a number of academy graduates who have become first-teamers at the Mestalla, alongside winger Ferran Torres and left-back Jose Luis Gaya.

While the player is believed to have a €150million (£140million) release clause, the Daily Mail has claimed that Valencia face a battle to keep their best players amid concerns over their finances, particularly in wake of the football shutdown caused by the global health crisis.

The outlet adds that Valencia want at least £36million if they are forced to sell Soler, but The Express has now suggested that the Gunners are only willing to do business if that price tag is lowered.

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According to the report in The Mirror, Soler is regarded as one of Spain’s best young prospects and tipped for the Spain national team.

However, he is still relatively raw, has a tally of just 11 goals and 17 assists in 141 club games, and hasn’t actually played for his country at senior level yet.

As a result, the reported £36million price tag still seems a bit of a risk for such a player, so it’s little surprise that Arsenal are said to be querying it.