Arsenal are tracking Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza ahead of a potential move, with the player having a £17.5m release clause in his contract.
Sam Dean reports for The Telegraph that Arsenal’s recruitment team have been tracking the progress of Elche 20-year-old Rodrigo Mendoza, who has a release clause of €20m (£17.5m).
The Gunners are likely to face competition for the signing, with Real Madrid among his admirers in Spain, and interest from some of the biggest teams in Italy.
It’s also not expected to be an imminent deal, with Mendoza more likely to leave Elche next summer than in the January window. Though Dean doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of a winter move.
Arsenal’s recruitment team are planning for the future as well as the present, and Mendoza is in their long-term thinking. Though the report stresses that there are no guarantees the Gunners will make a formal move.
Mendoza has made 10 appearances for Elche this season, scoring a couple of goals from his role in midfield.
Internationally, the 20-year-old has been involved with the Spain u21s, playing alongside summer Arsenal signing Cristhian Mosquera.
Despite his age, Mendoza has already played for Elche’s first team 61 times, though he was somewhat aided by their status as a second-tier club until this season.
That’s ended up working perfectly for the youngster’s development, allowing him to make his breakthrough while Elche were in the lower leagues before stepping up to La Liga this summer.
With a contract until 2028 and that tempting release clause, it may not be long before Mendoza is on the move. Whether that’s to Arsenal remains to be seen.