The Barcelona youngster could follow in the footsteps of the former Arsenal star.
Edu will be hoping that following Arsenal’s excellent second-place finish in the Premier League last season, he will be able to entice players of a higher calibre to join the Gunners this transfer window to improve their squad.
This will be essential, as the added rigours of the Champions League will test Mikel Arteta’s men, and strengthening all over the pitch could allow them to thrive.
Not only does Arteta want quality at the Emirates, but based on their recent transfer activity he is also keen on signing young players who could become regulars at the club in the coming seasons, and with this in mind, the Gunners have been linked with a move for Barcelona gem Aleix Garrido this summer, as per SPORT.
Having impressed the Barcelona hierarchy, he has a contract until 2025, while his release clause stands at a staggering €400m (£340m).
Could he be tempted by a move to England? It wouldn’t be the first time that Arsenal have raided Barcelona to sign a promising young Spaniard, and 20 years on from signing a teen prodigy called Cesc Fabregas, Arteta could repeat that masterclass by luring Garrido to the Premier League.
Could Aleix Garrido be the next Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal?
Fabregas became the youngest-ever player (at the time) to make his first team debut for Arsenal against Rotherham in 2003, and he went on to make over 300 appearances for the club, registering 152 goal contributions in the process (as per Transfermarkt) and turning into one of Arsene Wenger’s greatest-ever signings.
Although Garrido is slightly older than Fabregas when he joined, he could certainly go on to have the same sort of impact at the Gunners.
The 19-year-old occupies the same central-midfield position as the former Arsenal hero, and having shone across the youth squads at the Catalan giants – notching 12 goal contributions in just 29 games – he finally made his La Liga bow against Elche back in April.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig described the youngster as being “on fire” following his exploits in the UEFA Youth League last season, where he grabbed six assists in just three matches.
After he made his debut for the first team, U23 scout, Antonio Mango lauded him as a “wonderful talent” and he looks destined for the very top.
Arteta will be well-versed regarding his fellow compatriot’s impact at the club during his eight-year spell in the Premier League, as he was given a chance in his teenage years and didn’t look back.
Garrido could follow in Fabregas’ footsteps, so Edu will need to plot his next move very carefully.
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