Arsenal expected to make €20 million offer for Serie A player to replace 'disappointing' 22-year-old: Reports

Arsenal are reportedly (via Sport Witness) prepared to shell out €20 million to sign left-back Aaron Hickey from Serie A outfit Bologna. The club supposedly wants Hickey to replace Nuno Tavares, who has not lived up to the Gunners’ expectations this season.

Having risen through Benfica’s ranks, Nuno Tavares joined Arsenal in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of €8 million. He was primarily brought in to play second fiddle to first-choice left-back Kieran Tierney. However, due to the Scotland international’s injuries (ankle, knee), Tavares has seen a lot of football under Mikel Arteta this season.

The young Portuguese is committed and brings a lot of pace to the table, but his defending skills have left a lot to be desired.

As per Corriere di Bologna (via Sport Witness), the Londoners are eager to bolster the left side of the defense and consider Hickey to be a good fit.

According to the report, the Gunners’ technical director Edu is willing to spend €20 million to bring in the Scotland international as Tavares’ replacement. The report states that the two clubs could imminently get in touch with each other regarding the transfer.

The left-back is understood to be aware of the Gunners’ interest, but there is no concrete news about the switch yet. The 19-year-old has featured in 34 Serie A games this campaign, recording five goals and an assist.

Napoli are also believed to be interested in signing Hickey.

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Arsenal a step away from securing a top-four finish this season

Considering how good Manchester City and Liverpool have been lately, Arsenal didn’t have a realistic chance of fighting for the Premier League title this season. Securing a top-four finish has been their primary objective and they currently find themselves only a win away from achieving it.

However, getting a win on matchday 36 is unlikely to be straightforward, with their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur standing in the way. Fifth-placed Spurs currently sit four points behind Arsenal, meaning a win would take them within a point of their local rivals.

A defeat, on the other hand, would take the Gunners seven points clear, making it mathematically impossible for the Lilywhites to beat their arch-rivals to the fourth spot.

At home, Tottenham Hotspur could throw the kitchen sink at the Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s men have shown impressive resilience this season and it would be interesting to see how they deal with it on Thursday (May 12). A mouth-watering north London derby awaits at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.