Spain legend says Arsenal-linked 23-year-old is a ‘great talent’, doesn’t want him to leave

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A player reportedly sought after by Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has been described as a “great talent” by Spain legend Gaizka Mendieta.

A report in The Mirror from February claimed that Valencia ace Carlos Soler 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 23-year-old 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.

Mendieta, the former Valencia, Middlesbrough, Barcelona and Lazio midfielder, believes Soler’s rise is a reflection of the great work Los Che do at youth level.

“Valencia has always produced great talents like Carlos Soler and Gaya and so many other players in the past and I’m sure it will continue to do so,” he told Tribal Football.

“Let’s hope that the big talents remain in the club for as long as possible.”

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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 senior national team, with Mendieta’s comments an additional testament to what a talent he is.

However, Soler reportedly has a €150million (£140million) release clause, which is a huge amount of money to spend on a player who is still relatively raw, has a tally of just 11 goals and 17 assists in 141 club games, and hasn’t even made the national team.