Arsenal-linked Nathaniel Brown has admitted he’s aware of the transfer speculation around his future right now, but he’s not wasting time thinking about it.
Following recent links with Arsenal and Manchester City, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown has confirmed he’s aware of the reports suggesting he could be on the move, and of the touted €65m valuation on his head.
“Yes, you do pick up on things like that, but it doesn’t influence me,” Brown said (via Sport Witness). “I’m concentrating on the goals that are within my control. Nothing else interests me right now.
“[€65m is] a truly staggering sum. But frankly speaking, I’m not giving numbers like that, or the possibility of a transfer this summer, a second thought.
“My focus is entirely on Eintracht and our goal of qualifying for Europe. And after that, I would really love to be part of the World Cup squad. Then, I’ll see what happens in the summer. It’s hard to make plans in football, which is why I don’t dwell on it.”
Johannes Wolf recently reported for Bild that Arsenal are one of the names on a shortlist of clubs Brown could join this summer, though it’s a star-studded list.
FC Barcelona and Manchester City are reportedly keeping a close eye on the player, constantly seeking updates on him, whilst Liverpool and Real Madrid are also in the mix, with the race “wide open”.
Bild do at least confirm that a transfer for Brown is highly likely this summer. The player isn’t causing any trouble behind the scenes, but like Hugo Ekitike last summer, the belief is that the number of clubs chasing him is too large to expect him to stay.
Brown made his debut for the German national team in October, and reports of Arsenal interest in him emerged around the same time. It’s certainly not surprising that a young player debuting for a major national team like Germany would start to draw attention from the big clubs.
It seems the Gunners’ admiration hasn’t faded over the months since then, with Brown now at 37 appearances, four goals, and six assists for the season with Frankfurt.