Zielinski for Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey hasn’t even started to clear out his locker and already Unai Emery has decided on the Welshman’s successor.
That’s according to the Daily Mirror, which claims that the Arsenal head coach wants Piotr Zielinski to replace Ramsey in the Arsenal midfield.
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With Ramsey set to leave the Emirates on a free transfer at the end of the season, or possibly in January if the Gunners receive a respectable bid, Emery “has already identified his replacement in Napoli and Poland star Zielinski”.
The 24-year-old was linked to Liverpool in 2016, with Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp said to be “an admirer”, but an offer of £11.5m was deemed unsatisfactory by Zielinski’s then club Udinese.
Instead, the Polish playmaker joined Napoli, with whom he’s flourished and become one of the most reliable midfielders in the Serie A.
Contracted to Napoli until 2021, Zielinski has been slapped with a price tag in excess of £60m, Italian sources report.
Real join Ramsey race
On Monday it was Liverpool being linked to Ramsey, along with AC Milan and Juventus, but according to news site WalesOnline, Real Madrid have joined the race “as the Spanish giants look to rival Liverpool for his signature”.
Liverpool are said to be ready to meet Ramsey’s wage demands - believed to be more than £200,000 a week - but the Spanish giants are now poised to make a play for the midfielder. Real are looking to replace Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, both of whom are expected to leave the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
WalesOnline says that Real “have made their interest known, with [Ramsey’s] national teammate Gareth Bale sounded out over the possibility of a move for his close friend”.
Pepe still on the radar
Meanwhile, Arsenal are once again being linked with Nicolas Pepe. The Daily Mirror claims that the Gunners are competing with Everton, Barcelona and Sevilla for the hand of the Ivory Coast international.
Everton scouted the 23-year-old a fortnight ago but are said to be reluctant to meet Lille’s asking price of £30m. The French club are adamant they won’t be haggled down, and in the summer knocked back Lyon’s bid of £26m.
