Revealed: Arsenal & Newcastle United have been scouting €35m transfer target for months

Arsenal and Newcastle United are among the clubs that have been scouting and monitoring Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor since the start of this season.

Sources close to the situation have informed CaughtOffside that the 22-year-old has been attracting plenty of interest with his strong performances this term, with Arsenal, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Napoli keeping tabs on his development.

Ajax are not keen on letting Taylor go, but CaughtOffside understands that a fee of around €35million could be enough to persuade them to sell the Netherlands international.

Taylor certainly looks like he could be ready to make the step up to playing for a bigger club, and Arsenal could be an ideal destination for him as the Gunners look in need of more bodies in the middle of the park.

Kenneth Taylor transfer: Is he the answer for Arsenal in midfield?

Arsenal have also notably been linked with Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi in a report from the Independent, but there could perhaps be a case for Taylor as an alternative.

For one thing, Taylor is younger than Zubimendi, so would be a more long-term option, while at €35m he might also prove the cheaper option.

Of course, Arsenal shouldn’t be afraid to spend big money on proven players, but it could make sense that Taylor ends up being seen as the smarter long-term investment.

Newcastle could be one to watch in this saga as well, however, and it would surely be a good idea for the Magpies to plan for the future in midfield as there’s surely no guarantee they’ll be able to hold on to a star name like Bruno Guimaraes.

NUFC also looks a tempting project that should be able to lure in top talents like Taylor, and that’s certainly also the case for this ever-improving Aston Villa side under Unai Emery.