Arsenal must pay £18 million to land Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega, according to Estadio Deportivo.
The Spanish sports newspaper reports on their website that Arsenal must pay £18 million to trigger the Argentine’s release clause, despite the La Liga outfit wanting to hang on to one of their prized assets.
The Argentina international’s contract at Sevilla – who finished in the seventh in Spain’s top flight – expires in 2020.
However, Banega has been the only obstacle in the way of the Gunners landing the 29-year-old, as he is yet to be convinced to make the move to the Emirates, with new manager Unai Emery reportedly contacting the player himself to convince him to take the plunge and move to the North London-based outfit.
OPINION
Paying £18 million for a 62-capped international seems like a cut-price fee, and it may be a suitable price for Arsenal who are in the process of overhauling the squad to compete for the top four next season. He has made 31 appearances for the La Liga outfit, meaning he has plenty of experience to bring to the Emirates, which Emery will hugely appreciate. Arsenal’s midfield lacks a lot of depth and Banega will add the extra experience to provide stability they need to be a solid midfield. Banega is also highly versatile, operating largely as a central midfielder, but also playing as an attacking midfielder if necessary. Arsenal will hope that Emery has been able to convince the player to move, but it all lays down to whether Banega feels it is the right move for him. A fee of £18 million will end up being excellent value for a player of Banega’s experience, if Arsenal manage to land him.