Arsenal have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Bologna full-back Aaron Hickey, as reports suggest that the Gunners are closing in on a deal for the Scottish defender.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been linked with the 20-year-old since the end of the season, with Hickey able to provide cover on both flanks, something that Arsenal are sorely in need of.
And, speaking about the transfer window, Bologna’s Sporting Director Marco Di Vaio revealed for the first time that he could well leave, telling the media that “(Hickey) is one of those we could sacrifice, but if we don’t receive adequate offers, he’ll likely stay for another year”.
The Bologna footballer Aaron Hickey during the Roma-Bologna match at Olympic Stadium. Rome (Italy), May 1st, 2022 (Photo by Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Now, The Scotsman reports that ‘The Italians are preparing for life after the full-back and it is a case of when not if he moves on – with the Emirates Stadium the most likely destination’, adding that ‘Arsenal will have to pay upwards of £18million to sign Hickey’.
Jesus talks scheduled
Meanwhile, talks for Gabriel Jesus are expected to continue on Thursday, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that ‘in the next few hours there will be new contacts to understand if they can reach an agreement or move to other targets’.
It comes as Jesus is reportedly keen to join Arsenal, but the Gunners need to up their offer in order to stand any chance of landing the Brazilian, with their current proposition falling short of Manchester City’s £50m valuation according to the Times.
Gabriel Jesus wants to join Arsenal, who are expected to increase their offer which is short at present of Manchester City’s valuation of around £50 million https://t.co/776CWOnCjA
— Times Sport (@TimesSport) June 16, 2022
Should both deals go through, alongside the Youri Tielemans deal, it could prove to be a very progressive summer for the Gunners.
