Eduardo Camavinga joins Arsenal list of dream targets

Everybody wants to sign Eduardo Camavinga this summer transfer window. If Arsenal weren’t among the sides interested then you’d have to seriously question their scouting department, even if the competition for his signature is outrageous.

Setting up for the summer, expectations may not have been quite so high. Everyone understood the outstanding volume of work to be undertaken, but was it going to be more Ryan Fraser’s or were we looking at Nicolas Pepe’s?

Early murmurings began with Granit Xhaka’s impending departure and the pursuit of Emi Buendia. Things have gradually escalated since and now Arsenal fans are seeing potential additions in the form of Ben White on a huge £50m deal, as well as even higher figures around the arrival of a potential playmaker in James Maddison.

In between all of that, there were ever so slight links to Eduardo Camavinga. So early into the summer they were directly pushed away as transfer nonsense. After all, the biggest clubs in Europe have been chasing the 18-year-old’s signature and all of them can provide the golden chalice of Champions League football.

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Eduardo Camavinga joins Arsenal list of dream targets as Gunners’ priority summer transfer, although that doesn’t mean much

Not to mention, he will cost a few quid.

As Arsenal seek to revolutionise their midfield, there are few options on the continent that would excite quite like the Frenchman. Indeed, the need for experience in that area of the pitch, the like that could hit the ground running – hence why Ruben Neves links made sense – would dictate that Camavinga perhaps wouldn’t represent the best use of resources.

Arsenal just underwent a season of development with talents like Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka cementing their places as starting options for the coming season, thus more ‘project’ signings weren’t the ideal profiles.

Looking at those in their early 20’s, with experience but also with scope for further development and who will retain their value further into their Arsenal careers are those needed to form this significant squad rebuild.

Camavinga, however, is different.

The desire for a talent of his is normal. It isn’t all that often that someone can take on a PSG side at the age of 16, one littered with talents such as Kylian Mbappe, Angel di Maria and Marco Verratti and school them all. He announced himself in spectacular fashion.

This prodigy has continued to make gigantic strides, adding glamour to the defensive midfield position in a way few can. N’Golo Kante has popularised the role and helped give it the commendation it warrants in the modern era, but Camavinga is helping fly that flag.

Despite the seemingly impossible nature of securing his transfer, the links haven’t dissipated, no matter how unlikely they are to have much legs.

Continued…