Mendoza Catches Attention of Top European Clubs After Impressive Season

Mendoza, a product of Elche’s youth academy, made his professional debut for the club in 2022. During the previous season, he participated in 21 league matches, contributing to Elche’s second place finish in the Segunda Division and subsequent promotion to La Liga.

In the current season, Mendoza has played in nine La Liga matches, finding the net once. His notable performances in midfield have attracted the attention of several prominent European clubs.

According to reports from The Telegraph, Arsenal is closely tracking Mendoza’s development at Elche and is poised to enter the competition for the 20-year-old’s signature. The Gunners’ recruitment team has been monitoring the Spanish youth international, who may consider activating his €20m (£17.5m) release clause.

However, Arsenal will face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Manchester City, with La Liga giants Real Madrid also expressing strong interest in the midfielder, who has drawn comparisons to Barcelona and Spain’s playmaker, Pedri.

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, shares a childhood friendship with Madrid’s boss, Xabi Alonso, and the two have a similar approach to football. They previously competed for the signing of Martin Zubimendi, who ultimately chose Arsenal over Madrid. Arteta also secured Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen after discussions with Alonso, who had previously attracted Granit Xhaka to Bay Arena from Arsenal in 2023.

The rivalry between these two friends is set to intensify as they both pursue Mendoza in the transfer market.

Elche recognized Mendoza’s potential last summer, reportedly rejecting multiple offers from the Saudi Pro League. In August, the club took steps to secure his long-term future by extending his contract until 2028, which included the €20m release clause. Although this amount is considerable, it is viewed as “negotiable” and “certainly affordable” for elite European clubs.

Despite Elche’s efforts to retain him, reports suggest that Mendoza is likely to leave the club next summer, with the possibility of a transfer occurring as early as January if a club activates his release clause.

Meanwhile, the Premier League leaders are concentrating on their current season, preparing to face Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday. Ahead of this challenging match against one of Europe’s top strikers, Gunners defender Jurrien Timber discussed Arteta’s strategies to neutralize the England captain, noting, “That is not going to be easy, of course. I think he is an amazing striker; everyone knows that. He has so many qualities and has proven himself over time. It will be a significant challenge for us as defenders to stop him tomorrow.”