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Report: £100k-p/w ace could see Arsenal exit route blocked, 12-cap gem now key to deal
Amadou Diawara could now be key to Roma signing Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka this summer, according to .
Talks between the Serie A and Premier League clubs over a deal for Xhaka have stalled. Giallorossi CEO Tiago Pinto is refusing to meet the €23-25m (£20-21.5m) asking price the Gunners have set for the Swiss ace and will not budge.
The Roma executive believes Xhaka is worth paying €15m (£13m) for and not a bit more. But the inclusion of a player heading to north London could see talks start moving in the right direction again.
Arsenal paid Borussia Monchengladbach to sign Xhaka in 2016, but his Emirates Stadium stay is nearing its end. The ace is keen to join Roma and is trying to push through a move to the Stadio Olimpico.
Diawara leaving the Serie A for the Premier League could now be key for Xhaka getting his move to Roma. Arsenal like the Guinea midfielder and have kept tabs on his situation in the past.
His agent, Daniele Piraino, also confirmed to last summer that Mikel Arteta had sought a deal. While (P16, 28/5/21) have previously suggested Roma could use Diawara to seal any deal for Xhaka.
Arsenal should consider Diawara – Xhaka swap with Roma
Arteta will need a new arrival in his engine room at Arsenal if Xhaka gets his move to Roma. The Switzerland international featured in midfield , starting 22, during Premier League games last season, so would leave a gap.
The Gunners, then, should listen to Pinto should he offer Diawara in order for Roma to sign the 28-year-old. Arteta clearly admired what the Giallorossi’s 23-year-old could bring to north London before and may still be keen.
Diawara will likely also be itching for a fresh start at a club where he can prove himself. He only started Serie A outings for Paulo Fonseca last term and is, seemingly, already out of favour under Jose Mourinho.
A deal for Diawara and cash to head to Arsenal and Xhaka to join Roma, then, makes a lot of sense for both sides. Arteta gets a new midfielder, while Xhaka and Mourinho get the deal they want but Pinto is unwilling to fund.