Arsenal to launch stunning £43m Achraf Hakimi bid from Inter

Where has this come from? News coming out of Spain is claiming that Arsenal will push ahead with plans to splash out on Achraf Hakimi in the summer transfer window as the ideal replacement for Hector Bellerin, with a £43m price tag what it will take.

Hector Bellerin was only worth a place on the bench in the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool last time out having been left out of the squad entirely against West Ham, but you can’t help but feel absences for four key players were the only reasons the Spaniard made the team at all.

Mikel Arteta appears to be moving away from his countryman as he gives Calum Chambers a chance in the right-back slot, one closely followed behind by Cedric Soares.

The ship Bellerin has had docked in north London has had its ropes slowly untied over the past year, and now it looks set to sail at the end of the season.

https://twitter.com/AchrafHakimi/status/1378474077002813441

Arsenal to launch stunning £43m Achraf Hakimi bid from Inter in summer transfer window

With two right-backs in the squad but uncertainties over Chambers’ future, for example, Arsenal have seen it fit to go out and acquire a replacement for the long-serving Spaniard once he departs. According to AS, that’s Achraf Hakimi.

Speculation has been rife surrounding the exceptional Moroccan defender, who has been linked with a north London switch since the beginning of the year, albeit with tentative mentions in previous seasons. Various outlets have mentioned Arteta’s adoration and the rumours won’t dissipate.

This despite Arsenal hovering perilously close to an eventuality that offers them no European football next season and a woeful mid-table finish in the Premier League.

Chelsea have previously been linked as well as most of the continent, who’re in collective awe of the 22-year-old’s outstanding ability. In just his first season with Inter he’s set to break the Juventus curse and lift the Serie A crown, starting 21 times in the league, scoring six goals and registering five assists.

Operating as a right wing-back or right midfielder, his performances have been key to Antonio Conte’s side, even if their stance has opened the door for Arsenal to swoop in. Furthermore, a development in Spain also puts the Gunners in the driving seat.

Inter Need to Sell Achraf Hakimi and Real Madrid Don’t Want Arsenal Target

Inching closer to a first Serie A title since 2010, all appears to be going swimmingly at San Siro. Conte stayed on at the club despite defeat in the 2020 Europa League final, taking time to settle into the new season but now having his side in sparkling form.

They’re not healthy, though.

The club need to raise money in the summer and if that means cashing in on interest in a player they only signed for £33m less than 12 months ago then they will do. They want to make a profit, hence the valuation, but have now firmly put him up for sale.

Equally, Real Madrid have first refusal on their former player after selling their former academy star to the Italian club. However, it is a move Los Blancos are not keen on as they set their sights on acquiring funds to put towards one of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Thus, Arsenal are the frontrunners and are already preparing a firm offer ‘to close the operation as soon as possible’.

A firm offer for Achraf Hakimi worth £43m?

It’s almost baffling to think Arsenal can suddenly splash out such a fee despite still not knowing whether they will be involved in the Europa League, Champions League or neither next season. It’s a significant outlay, even if it is for a world-class player, but one that can’t be prepared until the outcome of the campaign is known.

They’re being aggressive, however, and if this admittedly exciting transfer talk is to be believed, then we’d have to imagine a buyer for Bellerin has been found and there is money to spend elsewhere. This particular story is heating up.