Arsenal to miss out on free transfer with Atletico in talks to seal a deal

Arsenal look set to miss out on the signature of Gelson Martins, with Atletico Madrid now leading the race to sign the player.

Mundo Deportivo claims that the Spanish side have held talks over a deal and remain in discussions with Sporting for the player.

Martins is one of many players to rescind their contracts with the Portuguese club, meaning he is available for nothing this summer.

The report claims that Atletico are still in talks with Sporting over a deal, in a similar reason to why Wolves discussed a transfer fee for Rui Patricio. The club want to avoid any potential legal claims that Sporting could file for in the future and want the deal to go through on good terms.

However,  the player’s availability has alerted the likes of Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, with the latter being heavily linked with a move for the Portuguese international.

Arsenal was reportedly the player’s preferred destination, but now Atletico appear to be leading the race to sign him.