An Arsenal target has effectively been taken off the table by the comments made by Udinese’s CEO Pierpaolo Morino.
The Gunners were thought to potentially be chasing a deal for right-back Nahuel Molina, with the Udinese right-back having impressed in Serie A this season in black and white, racking up 35 appearances to help his side to a mid-table finish.
The Argentine provided seven goals and five assists in what was a strong campaign on a personal note, and at 24 years old it could well have proved a breakout season for the man who joined his current side in 2020 on a free transfer.
He has since gone from strength to strength and has racked up 16 appearances for Argentina since
And Arsenal were thought to be interested in the player at the beginning of the summer transfer window, as they reportedly looked to find cover and competition for Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Molina to stay in Italy?
However, any potential move for Molina could be seriously hampered by Udinese CEO Pierpaolo Morino, who claims that he would rather see the Argentine move to another Serie A club before name-dropping Juventus, who are another side credited with an interest in the defender.
Speaking to Italian site Tuttosport, Morino revealed that fellow Udinese defender Destiny Udogie will likely not be leaving, but Molina could well.
‘Molina…is a player who, due to the interests he is arousing in Italy and abroad, will be difficult to keep’, he claimed. ‘So I hope that an Italian team will take him and enhance him. I believe that Juventus has the ability to do so’.
Whether or not it is simply a negotiating tactic by the Serie A side, or a sign that perhaps Arsenal’s interest was never as concrete as reported, remains unclear.