Arsenal are reportedly one of the clubs interested in Israeli sensation Oscar Gloukh, as the Gunners eye reinforcements ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Mikel Arteta will hope to close the gap on Manchester City in making sufficient signings this summer, something that the Spaniard is seemingly mastering with Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber Emirates bound.
The Gunners will face competition for Gloukh, who has been linked with a potential move to north London from Austria.
Are Arsenal signing Oscar Gloukh?
As reported by The Guardian on Tuesday, Arsenal are one of the Premier League representatives eyeing RB Salzburg midfielder Oscar Gloukh.
The report names the Gunners, along with City and Tottenham as the side’s wanting to secure the teenager’s signature, stating that the player would ‘prefer’ to join an English or Spanish side next.
It's thought that all three of those clubs have made enquiries to sign the player too.
It was only in the winter window that the youngster was picked up by Salzburg from Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv for a fee of €7m (£6m), however, a sharp start to his budding career has suggested that another move could be on the cards.
How good is Oscar Gloukh?
Labelled a "wonderkid" by journalist Tom Maston, the teen lit up the recent U21 European Championships, where he actually played against Emile Smith Rowe's England on Wednesday night.
The Arsenal star bagged an assist as Gloukh's side exited the tournament following a 3-0 defeat. He did, however, bow out having created four big chances in the tournament, the most of any player, while also registering three assists.
Deployed primarily as an attacking midfielder for Salzburg, the 19-year-old clearly has talents in the final third, as further highlighted by his two goals and one assist since arriving in the Austrian Bundesliga.
In the Bundesliga, Gloukh created five big chances, as well as averaging 1.2 key passes, despite only averaging 52 minutes per game for his new club.
For Arsenal, the teenager’s talent is an exciting prospect when taking into consideration Arteta’s confidence in young players at the Emirates, with the Gunners averaging the joint-youngest team last season.
The north Londoners are expected to bid farewell to Granit Xhaka this summer, who could depart for a German Bundesliga return after an eventful seven years at the club.
The Swiss midfielder’s exit could allow for a new face to flourish in his place alongside Rice, with Gloukh signalling to be a perfect heir to the 30-year-old.
Hailed as being a “jewel” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the teenager has been tipped by Kulig to become a “future legend of Israeli football” and could emulate the creative spark that Xhaka introduced to his game in the latter stages of his Arsenal career.
Typically used as a deep midfielder, the Swiss ace was identifiable as a hot-headed cog in the engine room, before displaying a more offensive role under Arteta, scoring nine times last term.
The 30-year-old averaged 1.3 key passes per game for the Gunners, as well as creating six big chances, just one more than Gloukh in his half-a-season at Salzburg, implying that the youngster could one day fill the void left by Xhaka’s departure.
One thing that is certain is that the club that secures the signing of the starlet will have an audacious talent on their hands, in a player that has a glass ceiling to his abilities in central midfield.
