Víctor Valdepeñas, a 19-year-old defender, has become part of the Madrid first team this season and has attracted interest from clubs including Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen. Arsenal is monitoring the player and is keen to complete a transfer for him in the summer. The club has scouted Valdepeñas and views him as an appealing option for the future due to his versatility in playing centrally or at left-back. Following initial reports of Arsenal's interest on December 15, sources in Germany claimed five days later that Arsenal was making a significant effort to sign him ahead of Dortmund and Leverkusen.