{"id":241111,"date":"2026-04-30T10:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T10:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/fabrizio-romano-confirms-arsenal-have-opened-talks-with-playmaker-likened-to-pedri\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T10:20:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T10:20:12","slug":"fabrizio-romano-confirms-arsenal-have-opened-talks-with-playmaker-likened-to-pedri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/fabrizio-romano-confirms-arsenal-have-opened-talks-with-playmaker-likened-to-pedri\/","title":{"rendered":"Fabrizio Romano confirms Arsenal have opened talks with playmaker likened to Pedri"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Fabrizio Romano<\/a> has confirmed that Arsenal<\/a> have opened talks with a playmaker likened to Barcelona star Pedri<\/a> via his ‘close circle’.<\/p>\n

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\n Arsenal share spoils with Atl\u00e9tico Madrid as penalty drama dominates headlines<\/strong>
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Arsenal head into the second leg of their Champions League semi-final finely balanced after Wednesday night\u2019s 1-1 draw with Atl\u00e9tico Madrid at the Emirates.<\/p>\n

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It was a tense and hard-fought contest, with Mikel Arteta<\/a>\u2019s side showing resilience at a tough ground.<\/p>\n

The result leaves everything to play for heading into the return fixture in north London, with Arsenal still firmly in contention to reach the final.<\/p>\n

While there was some frustration at not taking a lead into the second leg, the overall performance offered encouragement, with Arsenal controlling long spells and showing composure against experienced opposition.<\/p>\n

A major talking point from the night came with the controversial penalty incident involving Eberechi Eze.<\/p>\n

Arsenal were initially awarded a spot-kick after a challenge in the box, with Eze stepping up to take responsibility. However, after a VAR review, the decision was overturned, ruling out the penalty entirely.<\/p>\n

\n\"Rice-Arsenal-Zubimendi-Odegaard-Saliba-Gabriel-Raya-Madueke-Gyokeres-Martinelli-Hincapie\"\n <\/picture>\n

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\n\t\t\tBest player on the pitch: 99-touch Arsenal star looks like their new Xhaka
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Arsenal recorded a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The U-turn sparked confusion and frustration both on the pitch and in the stands, with Arsenal players clearly unhappy at the change.<\/p>\n

It proved to be a pivotal moment, as it denied them a clear opportunity to take the lead and shifted the momentum of the match, with Arteta left absolutely furious at the call.<\/p>\n

Arteta afterwards spoke about the importance of staying focused despite such moments, pointing to his side\u2019s reaction as a positive sign.<\/p>\n

Even with such a huge fixture on the horizon, planning for the summer transfer window is continuing behind the scenes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Arsenal\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Arsenal\u2019s recruitment strategy has evolved significantly in recent years, with the club balancing major first-team additions with a growing emphasis on securing elite young prospects before their value rises.<\/p>\n

That approach has already delivered promising results, and there is a clear intention to continue targeting some of Europe\u2019s most highly-rated emerging talents.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Arsenal open talks with Red Star Belgrade sensation Vasilije Kostov<\/strong>
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Midway through Arsenal\u2019s summer planning, growing attention has turned towards highly-rated Serbian talent Vasilije Kostov.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Vasilije\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The youngster is attracting interest from several clubs across Europe, with Arsenal firmly among those tracking his progress.<\/p>\n

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the Gunners\u2019 interest, providing a significant update on the situation during his latest YouTube<\/a> report.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s true what is being reported in Serbia, also Arsenal are following Kostov,\u201d Romano said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

That confirmation adds weight to numerous reports linking Arsenal with the player, who is seen as one of the more exciting young prospects emerging from Serbian football.<\/p>\n

Romano went on to reveal that Arsenal\u2019s interest has already moved beyond basic scouting.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey\u2019re following him closely, they made contact with people close to the player, they\u2019re considering a move for him, Arsenal want to invest in talents, not only on established players.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

The comments offer a clear insight into Arsenal\u2019s thinking.<\/p>\n

While experienced additions are expected this summer, there is also a strong push to recruit younger players who can develop within the system.<\/p>\n

Kostov fits that model.<\/p>\n

The 17-year-old, who has drawn comparisons with Barcelona star Pedri<\/a>, already boasts senior international caps for Serbia.<\/p>\n

Kostov’s superb form has also seen him rack up 14 goals and seven assists in all competitions this season.<\/p>\n

Competition is likely, and Arsenal will need to act decisively if they decide to proceed.<\/p>\n

For now, their focus remains on finishing the season strongly, but behind the scenes, plans are already taking shape for what comes next.<\/p>\n

\n\"Arsenal\n <\/picture>\n

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\n\t\t\tArteta desperately trying to convince under-appreciated Real Madrid star to join Arsenal
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Mikel Arteta is pushing for the Gunners to sign a La Liga star.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Arsenal have opened talks with a playmaker likened to Barcelona star Pedri via his ‘close circle’. Arsenal share spoils with Atl\u00e9tico Madrid as penalty drama dominates headlines Arsenal head into the second leg of their Champions League semi-final finely balanced after Wednesday night\u2019s 1-1 draw with Atl\u00e9tico Madrid at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":241112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6808],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-241111","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241111"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241111\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}