Arsenal ‘close to £2.

5m capture of South
American midfielder Federico Valverde’
Ben Grounds for Metro.co.uk Saturday 28 Mar 2015 12:30 pm
Federico Valverde is expected to become a star in the future (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal have stepped up their interest in 16-year-old Uruguayan Federico Valverde,
according to reports in Italy.

The highly-rated youngster, who plays for native club Penarol, was linkedwith the
Gunners in January, and TuttomercatoWeb have now suggested that manager Arsene
Wenger will make a move for the midfielder this summer.
Italian website Republica reported that Valverde visited Arsenal’s London Colney
training base to be assessed by Wenger at the start of the year.
And it would now appear the Frenchman has seen enough to lodge a £2.5million bid for
the Uruguay under-17 international, with additional clauses likely to be added based on
how well the player performs.

While the speculation comes in the same week Premier League clubs met with FA
chairman Greg Dyke to discuss greater emphasis on home-grown players, Arsenal fans
will care not a jot if Valverde goes on to become a global superstar at the Emirates.