Arsenal should steer clear of a free transfer for Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane as the deal throws up a lot of "red flags", Gunners expert Charles Watts believes.
The North London giants and Tottenham Hotspur are understood to have held talks with the 29-year-old's camp as Sane runs down the final few weeks of his Bayern contract, which expires on June 30.
Sane's agent has suggested that contract talks with Bayern Munich are heading in the right direction, but as things stand, the former Manchester City man will be unattached by the start of July and is already free to engage in discussions with other clubs.
The Germany international came up with a respectable 11 goals and five assists in 30 Bundesliga matches last season, but speaking to Sports Mole, Watts advised Arsenal against making a move for a player who is "past his best".
"It doesn't appeal to me," Watts said. "Leroy Sane is a great footballer - he's done damage to Arsenal in the past, but there's a lot of red flags. I've been really excited about what Arsenal are going to do winger-wise, and if they end up with Leroy Sane on a free, that would be really disappointing.
"He can play on the right, can play on the left, but it would be massive wages. He's past his best, let's face it. And then is he a massive improvement? No. It's not one that I'd be really blown away by. I'd much rather them sign a player that they believe is going to be the guy for the next few years. That's who they really should be targeting.
"We had a poor window last summer attacking-wise, an unacceptable window in January. You really expect something big to happen this summer. Arsenal need that to really inject new blood into this attack. And if you end up signing Leroy Sane, that's really underwhelming.
'Sane should only be last-gasp option for Arsenal'
"I can understand if there's talks going on. I'd imagine those talks are initiated from Sane's camp, because that's what he has to do. He's out of contract, potentially. You go out to the market, put the feeders out, see who's interested. That's the right thing for them to do.
"I don't know how realistic it is or how hard [Arsenal] are actually pushing, but I would hope it's a last-gasp type option. I'd much rather they sign Nico Williams, Semenyo, Eze. That's far more exciting and far more what Arsenal need right now, especially on the back of the season we've seen from Raheem Sterling.
"I'm not saying Sane will be Sterling - he's got more to offer at this stage of his career - but you see what I mean in terms of why that would not be a move I'd be very excited by."
While Sane would be a cost-effective option if he opts against extending his Bayern contract, Arsenal are not struggling financially whatsoever, and Mikel Arteta will likely have another £200m+ warchest at his disposal this summer.
As a result, the Gunners should have no problem affording younger targets such as Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams, AC Milan's Rafael Leao or Real Madrid's Rodrygo, the latter of whom was said to be under serious consideration.
Arsenal have been told that the Brazil international is worth paying over the odds for, but it has now been reported that Rodrygo wants to stay in the Spanish capital, although he must prove himself to Xabi Alonso at the Club World Cup.
Is Rodrygo worth waiting for for Arsenal?
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If the ex-Santos starlet endures a disappointing summer tournament, the door could swing open for Arsenal to make a move, although Watts feels that the Gunners cannot afford to wait that long for a scenario that may not occur.
"It's a tough one - it's got the ingredients to run into a bit of a saga, and you don't really want that," he added. "But then there's also that balancing act of, it's Rodrygo. If you're going to wait for anyone, he could come in and be a game changer. That exciting signing that would really freshen the attack up.
"I'd love Rodrygo at Arsenal if the opportunity's there. You have to at least enter the conversation. But if it's really looking like it's either not going to happen or will happen right at the end, I don't think you can afford to wait the whole window.
"The need to strengthen in attack is so great that you can't take the risk of scrambling around at the end and signing Raheem Sterling because the player you've really waited for has ended up not arriving."
Rodrygo is one of two apparent wide targets that Arsenal may miss out on, as the Gunners were said to have taken a liking to Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, but the Cameroonian has now supposedly chosen to join Manchester United.
Mbeumo has gone from strength to strength in the Premier League ever since Brentford's promotion, scoring 20 goals and providing eight assists in the top flight last term, although he largely plays on the right flank.
'Impossible sell for Mbeumo to join Arsenal'
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Bukayo Saka is indispensable on that side for Arsenal, who have a much more urgent need to upgrade the left-hand side of their attack, and Watts was therefore not shocked to see him turn his nose up to Arsenal.
However, he was not expecting Mbeumo's choice of destination, adding: "I'm more surprised he's not going to Newcastle. I thought he would be perfect for them - he'd be an improvement on Jacob Murphy, who had a really good season, but I think it improves them.
"Like Joan Garcia, it's an almost impossible sell. If you're talking to Mbeumo and say come to Arsenal, who plays on your right? Saka. Well, I'm not going to go there, am I? I don't know how exactly how strong the interest was, but I don't see this being a window where Arsenal sign two wingers.
"For me, it has to be a left-winger rather than a right-winger. I'd love to bring in another right-hand side player to share the minutes with Bukayo Saka, but I'm not sure realistically that's going to happen when you're also signing a striker.
"It doesn't surprise me that it's not Arsenal he's going to, but I was a little bit surprised he picked Manchester United. Good deal for them, following on Matheus Cunha, it's two good deals for them. It certainly improves their attack. I imagine the money on offer is pretty decent for him."
Arsenal's current left-wing options - Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard - both have contract situations that need addressing, as the latter could become a free agent next year while Martinelli's terms run until 2027.
However, Arsenal are not believed to be pushing either out of the door, and the expectation is that both will stay at the club for 2025-26 even if a new left-winger is signed.
Ben Knapton
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