Arsenal are now ‘serious’ in their pursuit of Cengiz Under, believing him to be perfect for the Premier League, but AS Roma aren’t keen to let go, according to reports in Italy.
CalcioMercato write that Arsenal ‘have decided to focus on Cengiz Under’. The Italian outlet calls Under ‘young, perfect for the Premier League and with wages of less than €1m’.
They admit that the Gunners are yet to make an official offer for the winger and that Roma don’t want to sell in January. However, to try and get their money’s worth when they do sell, the Serie A side are reportedly trying to get Under to sign a new deal with increased wages and a release clause of €45m (£40m).
TuttoMercatoWeb report almost exactly the same story, claiming that those in the Turkish media believe Arsenal are ‘ready to launch the assault’ for Under. They add that Roma director of football Monchi will soon meet with the player’s agent over a renewal and a new release clause of at least €40m (£35.6m).
Under has scored three goals and assisted five in 14 appearances this season, a good record for a 21-year-old playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues. The young winger is also a regular for the Turkish national team, having played in all of their matches since March.
Whether Arsenal think he’s worth €40-45m, we’ll have to wait and see.