New: Arsenal to go “strong” for bargain midfielder transfer after “detailed” scouting reports

Arsenal, Brighton and Aston Villa are all going strong for Luca Weinhandl ahead of the January transfer window.

As first reported via the Daily Briefing, the 17‑year‑old Sturm Graz midfielder has become one of the hottest prospects in Europe after standout performances in the Austrian Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League qualifiers, with the clubs mentioned above all scouting him closely for some time.

“Scouts from those three Premier League clubs were present at recent fixtures against Rapid Wien and LASK to watch Weinhandl live and compile detailed reports,” another source confirmed.

Arsenal looking at Luca Weinhandl transfer for January

I’m told that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and the club’s hierarchy view Weinhandl as an ideal long‑term fit to strengthen their midfield pipeline. With the recent confirmed deal for Andria Bartishvili, there has been a relentless push to ensure the club is at the front of the queue for more elite young players.

The Gunners notably missed out on Jeremy Monga to Manchester City in the summer, and I’m reliably told they’re also keen on Louis Page at Leicester City, though Manchester United are understood to be leading the race for that deal.

Weinhandl is another name high up on Arsenal’s list, though, and some initial contacts are understood to have taken place, even if it’s nothing advanced just yet.

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Luca Weinhandl could move for bargain £17m fee

I’m told that Sturm Graz are realistic about Weinhandl’s future. They know they have a real gem on their hands, and that they stand to make a decent amount from a sale.

For the likes of Arsenal, Villa, and Brighton, it looks like a potential bargain, with a package worth around £17m expected to be enough to get a deal done.

While the feeling is that Sturm Graz are not feeling under pressure to sell as Weinhandl himself is in no hurry to move due to being happy with his development in their first-team, the likes of Arsenal are optimistic that an agreement can be struck pretty quickly.

There will likely be more close monitoring of the teenager’s performances between now and January, and more concrete club-to-club talks could then start once the window opens.