Real Madrid are willing to sell Jese Rodriguez to Arsenal if the Premier League club match their £21.1 million valuation of the prodigy. 

Spanish outlet Don Balon (h/t Luke Gardener of the Daily Star) reported Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is “very interested” in taking the starlet from Los Blancos after the attacker failed to nail down a place in coach Rafael Benitez’s regular starting XI. 

The Emirates team have lost Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Hector Bellerin to injury in recent times, per Gardener, highlighting the club’s lack of depth, and forcing Wenger to look towards the January transfer window with bated breath.

Jese is thought to be keen to find a new club after his failure in the Spanish capital, as French publication Le10 Sport (h/t Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star) reported his current disharmony in La Liga. 

Despite Anderson describing the north London side as “front-runners” in the chase for the 22-year-old, they will face stiff opposition from Inter Milan, who want the attacker at the San Siro. However, they value Jese at £15 million, per Anderson, which is short of the Galacticos’ estimate. 

The player has previously been tipped to be a star of the future for Real, but with a host of alpha males in his path, the progression to the starting XI has been blocked. 

Despite not completing 90 minutes for Madrid this season, according to Squawka.com, Jese has appeared seven times in La Liga, scoring twice and impressing. 

His progress was cut down in 2014 due to a serious knee injury, as reported by Sky Sports, but he has battled his way back to full fitness, and desperately needs first team football. 

The Spain under-21 forward was reflective after his knee injury and operation, but he took a mature stance on a difficult situation, as quoted by FourFourTwo’s David Cartlidge: “I had a very tough time, but I think that things in life happen for a reason. Maybe I had the injury because I needed to learn and become a more mature footballer.”

Football writer Jamie Kemp believes it is frustrating Jese has not been given a bigger role since the start of the season:

Jese is a supremely talented individual, and he just needs the right side to prove his worth.

Arsenal play a brand of football that will suit the youngster, but Wenger’s collection of attacking midfielders may ensure the player spends as much time on the bench as he currently does in Spain. 

 

Arsenal Watch Xhaka

Wenger is tracking Borussia Monchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka and has sent a club official to watch the player in the Bundesliga. 

German publication SportBild (h/t SportWitness.com) said the Gunners will continue to monitor the Switzerland ace, who has impressed since joining the team from Basel in 2012.

Xhaka has a buyout clause in his current deal set at €30 million, but it can only be activated in 2017, according to SportBild.

The player is a jack of all trades in midfield and can perform a defensive function while also moving box-to-box, making the 23-year-old perfect for Wenger’s needs.

The Swiss is certainly more suited to the Gunners’ current requirements than Jese, as Wenger searches for a player who can provide defensive stability while allowing his attackers to play their flair game.

Xhaka is ready for the step up to the Premier League and has proved in Germany he has the class and motivation to play at a higher level.

The central operator has plenty of experience despite being young and would blossom at the Emirates if given the chance. 

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