Arsenal have been dealt a huge blow in their pursuit of Celta Vigo midfielder Stanislav Lobotka.
According to The Daily Mail, Napoli are closing in on an agreement with Celta to sign him for a fee in the region of £15m.
The report claims that Arsenal are interested in the central midfielder, but Napoli have moved swiftly to strike a deal with the Spanish club.
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The Slovakian midfielder has impressed for Celta in recent seasons and has clearly caught the eye of a number of top clubs, earning him this proposed move to Napoli. Arsenal do lack quality options in midfield, especially creatively, so missing out on Lobotka is a blow to the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta will surely be looking to do business in his first transfer window in charge of the club, with Arsenal having only won five of their 20 Premier League games so far – a poor return. Central midfield will be an area for concern, with former captain Granit Xhaka being linked with an exit, and Lobotka could have solved their issues.
However, it appears as though Napoli are going to seal the deal and bring the 25-year-old to Italy. This means that Arsenal will have to look elsewhere to strengthen their squad.
