Arsenal ‘outbid West Ham’ with Aaron Hickey offer as Mikel Arteta transfer business begins

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Arsenal have reportedly made a start to their summer transfer business by outbidding West Ham with an offer for Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey. Mikel Arteta is in the market for a left-sided defender and it is claimed a move has been made for the Scotland international.

Hickey enjoyed a successful season in Serie A, making 36 appearances. And his performances have seemingly caught the eye of Premier League sides.

Arsenal’s interest in the player has been reported for several weeks. And now Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport claims both the Gunners and West Ham have made an offer.

Arsenal’s proposal is said to be around £21million (€25m), with the Hammers’ bid slightly less. Bologna’s response to the offer is not known and it is not revealed what figure will be enough to convince them to sell Hickey this summer.

The full-back, who turns 20 next month, has two years remaining on his contract with the Italian side. He spent time in the academy at Celtic before rejoining boyhood club Hearts in 2018.

He appeared over 30 times for the Scottish Premiership side before turning 18. Bologna signed Hickey in September 2020 but he did not become a regular starter until this season.

He also scored five times in the Italian top flight this term, showcasing his attacking ability. Arsenal’s need for a left-back is due to the uncertainty over both Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares.

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Tierney’s injury record continues to be a worry for the Gunners. He missed the last couple of months of the season with a knee injury.

The former Celtic star has been plagued with fitness problems throughout his career and is yet to make more than 27 Premier League appearances in a season for the Gunners. Meanwhile, Tavares has had a tough first campaign in north London.

The Portuguese youngster joined from Benfica last summer. However, after a promising start, he has had a number of performances to forget.

Takehiro Tomiyasu and even Granit Xhaka have been preferred at left-back by Arteta in Tierney’s absence, showing a lack of faith in Tavares. Hickey would likely be a back-up to his Scottish compatriot.

However, learning from a player of Tierney’s quality will only be a positive for the teenager. Arsenal missing out on Champions League qualification and instead entering the Europa League is likely to benefit the club’s squad players.

Hickey would likely be one to feature regularly in the competition if he were to sign.

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