Arsenal have expressed their interest in signing Benfica full back Lorenzo Melgarejo, according to the player’s agent, and they are not the only ones to do so, as Turkish giants Fenerbahce have also joined the race to sign the player.
The Gunners are in the middle of strengthening the core of their team, as Arsene Wenger has been given the power of surplus funds to spend on players he believes in. The chief executive of the club recently spoke about the revamp in the transfer policy, which no longer constrained Wenger to buy players who were below a certain age, and with a potential to double their value in a given period of time.
Despite the majority of media attention being on Arsenal’s potential striker acquisitions, Wenger is surely addressing the lack of the core team due to recent mega sales. Kieran Gibbs remains the only recognized left back in the squad, and despite having a sound season on the pitch, Gibbs has been struggling with injuries. Gibbs has progressed well through the Arsenal youth system, also making his England debut in 2010.
The only other left back in the senior squad is Andre Santos, who has struggled to cope with the intensity of the Barclays Premier League. The slow nature of his game has not gone down well with the Arsenal fans, who look on Gibbs to provide a successor to Gael Clichy. In that sense, Wenger has realized the importance of signing another left back, with Melgarejo fitting the bill.
22-year old Melgarejo began his career in his native Paraguay, where he spent the first three seasons of professional football. He was then recognized by Benfica, who signed him in 2011, and immediately loaned him for first team experience. His potential recently came to light, when coach Jorge Jesus played him in the first team this season.
According to the Metro, the player’s agent, Juan Gabriel Appleyard, confirmed initial interest from the Gunners to sign the Paraguayan, with competition from Turkey.
Appleyard said, “Arsenal and Fenerbahce have enquired about Melgarejo. But so far there has been nothing concrete.”