Arsenal lose the 'new Serge Gnabry' to Aston Villa - Romano

Tom Weber

• 31 Jan 2024 15:11 GMT
• 3 min read

Lino Sousa is on the verge of joining Aston Villa, according to Fabrizio Romano.

It has been a very quiet transfer window for Arsenal. While much of the talk surrounding the Gunners has been on incomings, with the likes of Ivan Toney and Douglas Luiz eyed by the north London giants, a lack of financial wiggle room has not allowed Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu to dip into the market.

However, there could yet be some activity late in the window, but it will be on the outgoing front. According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal youngster Lino Sousa is on his way to Aston Villa in a permanent deal. The 19-year-old full-back will remain in the Premier League despite interest from Rangers, Galatasaray and Juventus.

The Italian transfer expert did not disclose the financial details of the transfer, but the fee required to sign him will likely not be enough to allow the Gunners to do some last-minute business.

The next Gnabry?

The Lisbon-born England youth international has been with Arsenal since 2022 when he joined from West Brom's academy setup, but he will depart the club after two years having not made a single first-team appearance.

Nevertheless, Sousa is highly rated in Arsenal circles and fans are fearing that his exit could develop into a Serge Gnabry situation. The German international was on the books in north London as a youngster but was eventually deemed not good enough. Since his Arsenal exit, Gnabry has gone from strength to strength in the Bundesliga.

One Gooner wrote on X: "I really hope Lino Sousa doesn’t become the next Serge Gnabry, the kid has great potential! All the best in your next adventure." Another concurred: "Lino is a top talent, a full back with the technique to invert, the pace and power to overlap and the creativity to perform key actions in the final third. Hopefully, there is a sell-on clause or matching rights built into the deal."