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Arsenal send officials to Spain to discuss deal for midfielder Pedri loves
Tom Weber
- Updated: 18 Nov 2025 17:00 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Arsenal are among the clubs interested in Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, who has received lavish praise from Barcelona superstar Pedri.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a quick rise to prominence with promoted LaLiga outfit Elche. After targeting several impressive transfers following their return to the top flight, the newboys sit in a comfortable 11th place in the table, although recent results have taken a turn for the worse.
Mendoza, born in nearby Murcia, has come through Elche's youth academy and is increasingly making a name for himself. A regular fixture in Spain's youth national teams since the U17 age group, the midfielder is now a U21 international and was recently allowed to train with La Roja's senior side.
Current ETV
Rodrigo Mendoza
M (C)
Elche
Rodrigo Mendoza
M (C)
Elche
ETV Range
€6.8M - €9.1M
He certainly left a lasting impression. Barcelona superstar Pedri, arguably the best midfielder in the world when fit and on form, believes that Mendoza is the one current player whose playing style most resembles his own.
The Elche wonderkid's emergence hasn't gone unnoticed outside of Spain. Recent reports have linked Juventus with a move for the 20-year-old, while Arsenal are now also said to be in the mix.
Arsenal send scouts to Spain
According to local outlet Informacion, Arsenal have sent scouts to Spain to watch Mendoza in the flesh and to potentially discuss a January deal for the midfielder.
The Gunners have a sizeable Spanish contingent in their squad already, and Mendoza would be exactly the kind of profile the Gunners have been looking for recently. Arsenal want to add a young midfielder and tried to do a deal for Sverre Nypan before he joined Man City.
The report draws attention to the fact that Premier League clubs have greater financial resources to work with and could easily trigger Mendoza's relatively affordable €20 million release clause.
It is posited that the youngster could already be on the move in January. However, the outlet does not rule out that his next club could allow him to return to Elche on loan to see out the current season.
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