Arsenal are reportedly ‘positioned to welcome’ Real Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez but Mo Salah killer Sergio Ramos has urged him to stay at the club.

Real Madrid's Spanish midfielder Lucas Vazquez heads the ball during the UEFA Champions League group G football match Viktoria Plzen v Real Madrid in Plzen, Czech Republic on November 7, 2018. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)
Real Madrid’s Spanish midfielder Lucas Vazquez heads the ball during the UEFA Champions League group G football match Viktoria Plzen v Real Madrid in Plzen, Czech Republic on November 7, 2018. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

The rumour, which seems to have started with Spanish outlet, Don Balon, seems primed to go viral, so are Arsenal really interested in signing Luis Vazquez or is this Don Balon’s attempt to move on from their obsession with linking Arsenal with Karim Benzema?

Honestly, it’s hard to tell. With Arsene Wenger and co. we knew what we could expect and what we could dismiss. While this rumour seems improbable, we just don’t know what Sven Mislintat and Co. are plotting, nor what their modus operandi at Arsenal will be over the long term. There just isn’t enough data available.

The best we can do at this point is guess and a smart guess would say there’s not much to it. I initially misread the headline and thought we wanted Ramos himself. The thought of him bringing 33 years worth of sh*thousery to the club was a little exciting.

KIEV, UKRAINE - MAY 26: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool falls and lands on his shoulder after a collision with Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid, leading to him going off injured during the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium on May 26, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
KIEV, UKRAINE – MAY 26: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool falls and lands on his shoulder after a collision with Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid, leading to him going off injured during the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium on May 26, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Alas, Google translate took me on a little journey and Ramos was only in the headline because he is apparently urging Vazquez to stay at the club.

Don Balon seems to think that Vazquez is free to leave in the January transfer window and he would fit the profile of player Arsenal were said to be looking for, even before Danny Welbeck’s horrendous injury that required a second surgery just a few days after the first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFpucQR2KVY

Arsenal were reportedly alerted to Vazquez’s availability back in October with Gareth Bale, Isco, and Asensio all ahead of him. Real Madrid are also expecting the arrival of Rodrygo in January while they have not totally ruled out signing either Neymar or Eden Hazard in the summer according to this report.

Arsenal also tried to sign Vazquez for €40m in the summer if you believe this report that started, once again, with Don Balon.

Vazquez is a 27-year-old right-winger who won’t command a massive fee. €30m is mentioned in the Don Balon report and while that was a whopper of a price tag a few years ago, we now live in a world where players like Danny Drinkwater go for more than that.

Don Balon claim that both Arsenal and Roma are ‘positioned to welcome Lucas, who at 27, is looking for a destination where they guarantee prominence.’

Sergio Ramos and Santiago Solari, Real Madrid’s incoming manager, are both trying to stop the transfer. Florentino Perez has reportedly given it the green light.

Vazquez has experience but isn’t old although, with just one assist to his name all season in 710 minutes of football, questions have to be asked whether he is the best we can get for that slot.

Plus, it’s Don Balon…