Former side Barcelona are reported to be keen on bringing Olmo back to the club, having spent seven years in the famous La Masia academy system. He moved to Dinamo Zagreb, aged 16, in July 2014 and enjoyed a successful five-and-a-half years in the Croatian capital before joining RB Leipzig. He has been at the Bundesliga club ever since, scoring 29 goals and adding 34 assists in 148 appearances.
Now, having shone for Spain at Euro 2024, Olmo has attracted interest from the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. It has been reported that Olmo has a release clause of £52million - and that is expected to be triggered before it expires next Saturday. Clubs are understood to be loitering ahead of the deadline, with the Gunners among those that have expressed an interest in the Spanish playmaker.
If he did join the Gunners, he would add another ounce of quality to their squad. A versatile operator, Olmo is predominately an attack-minded midfielder who can also be used off the left or right. He would give Arsenal an extra option alongside Martin Odegaard in that more advanced midfield position, while Olmo can provide support for the left central midfield berth and on the wing.
Any move for Olmo would almost eliminate the chance of Arsenal signing Eberechi Eze, however. Eze could provide a safer bet due to his Premier League experience, but Odegaard's transition in 2021 shows that players don't need to have played in England before to succeed. Olmo would give Arsenal creativity and another goal threat, something that could take them to overcome Manchester City next season.
Should Olmo make the switch to the Emirates, it's likely that Emile Smith Rowe would be sold. The 23-year-old has been linked with a £25m move to Fulham and West Ham this summer after making just three Premier League starts last season. Alongside him, Thomas Partey could be sold to free up cash. The Ghanaian has one year left on his deal at the Emirates and struggled with injuries and fitness last term.
That might still leave space for Olmo's Spain teammate Mikel Merino to join. It emerged on Tuesday that the Gunners are reportedly interested in the 28-year-old after impressing at Euro 2024. A robust and powerful midfielder, Merino has been superb for Real Sociedad over the past couple of years, and featured seven times in the Champions League last season. It's said Arteta is a big fan of the 'talent and physicality' Merino possesses and believes he can add an extra dimension to the Arsenal squad.
Another quality Merino possesses is being left-footed and would provide balance in a similar way that Granit Xhaka did before he left to join Bayer Leverkusen last summer. However, if Merino did join - as well as Olmo - then it would be likely that he would operate as the left-sided central midfielder and the Leipzig man moves to the wing. Even still, it does give Arteta more flexibility to move his squad about.
With Olmo, Merino, Odegaard, Jorginho and Declan Rice at his disposal, Arteta would no doubt have the quality and ability in his midfield to help build his title-winning side.
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