Aaron Hickey says it’s nice to hear of the interest in him from clubs such as Arsenal, though he’s not getting too carried away with it.

After signing Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna last summer, Arsenal have once again been linked with a full-back from the Serie A side, this time Scotland’s Aaron Hickey.

Following the reports last week, Hickey has responded to questions on the speculation.

“I do see a lot of talk,” Hickey said. “It’s nice to know there’s interest from other clubs, it gives you some confidence. But you just keep your head down and focus on football.”

Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli initially reported that Napoli and Arsenal were interested in Hickey. Arsenal have made enquiries about the player, with the Serie A side setting a price tag of €20m.

Football.London have since confirmed that Arsenal are monitoring Hickey ahead of the summer transfer window, and they’re interested in signing the versatile full-back.

Hickey is primarily left-footed and a left-back, but he’s one of the most ambidextrous players around at the moment and can easily play on the right as well.

The Scottish international uses his “weak” foot 39% of the time, which is more than any current Arsenal player.

Funnily enough, Arsenal’s top current player for weak-foot usage is Tomiyasu, at 32%. So if Hickey followed Tomiyasu to North London this summer, Mikel Arteta would have a couple of interchangeable full-backs.

Given Arsenal’s issues with full-back injuries this season, Hickey could be a smart investment. Kieran Tierney and Tomiyasu have both spent extended periods on the sidelines, which has hurt Arsenal on a few occasions.

At 19 years old, Hickey is another player Arsenal could potentially rely on for the long term as well.