Premier League leaders Arsenal are now being linked with a move for yet another defender as Mikel Arteta seeks to bolster his squad for sustained challenges for forthcoming seasons.
According to the BBC, the Gunners are monitoring Real Madrid’s highly-rated 19-year-old defender Victor Valdepenas, who made his La Liga bow for the record UEFA Champions League winners in December.
The Spain U20 defender, who Spanish outlet Marca have described as a “limitless beast”, is touted by many to be the next big defensive stalwart in the country, with Arsenal keen to pounce.
But who exactly is Valdepenas, and why are the Gunners interested? Striver. Football brings you up to speed:
Standing at 188cms tall, Valdepenas is the modern manager’s dream. A natural center back, he made his debut against Alaves as a left back.
He is also exceptionally fast and is left-footed. He also possesses the stamina to play as an inverted fullback. Mikel Arteta has a thing for multi-faceted defenders, so it's not hard to see why Valdepenas has caught his eye.
Valdepenas’ rise has not been without drama. Following his debut, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso made a rare public slip-up. The clash against Alaves resulted in a 1-1 draw. Alonso called out the teenager’s “one mistake” that led to their equaliser.
“We conceded on the only play where Valdepeñas made a mistake, because in all the others they were very solid,” Alonso said at a press conference after the game.
Journalists accused Alonso of throwing the youth product under the bus. However, according to the aforementioned Marca report, the ex-Real Madrid boss held a face-to-face meeting in the locker room to apologise to the 19-year-old.
According to Spanish outlet AS Mario, Valdepenas has a release clause of £43 million in his contract, set to expire in 2029.
William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, Christhian Mosquera, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Pierro Hincapie are the center back options in the team.
Hincapie is only a loan signing, though, and Arteta has not trusted Myles Lewis-Skelly at left back for much of the current season.
However, managing to price away Valdepanas would not come without its shortcomings. Real Madrid are famed for inserting buy-back clauses for their top-rated prospects, which Arsenal would likely reject.
Arsenal could be tempted to trigger a move in the current window. However, a summer approach appears more likely as the club continues to evaluate their current options.
