Emirates Stadium side target keen on Premier League move.
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Italian source CalcioMercato claims that Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta could be on his way to Arsenal this summer.
The experienced Venezuelan international is out of contract in the summer and looks set to follow former team-mate Javi Martinez and fellow contract rebel Fernando Llorente in a move to ‘bigger’ club having seemingly achieved as much as he feels he can at the San Mames club.
The 28 year old centre-back’s agent Gines Carvajal has confirmed his client wants to move to the Premier League and is in talks with the North London club.
The fact that the 6ft 4in no-nonsense performer is keen on a move to the English top tier should see off the challenge of Russian big spenders Anzhi, who are also tracking Amorebieta.
Arsenal have three international level centre-backs to choose from but captain Thomas Vermaelen has looked far from comfortable at times this season. With Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci set to leave there will be room for a defensive addition.
Amorebieta has been at Athletic Bilbao for coming onto eight years and may well feel, as Martinez and Llorente clearly did, that the time is right to move on from the Basque side who are struggling at the wrong end of the La Liga table this term.