Thursday, 18th October, 2012
English Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool are both tracking Real Betis midfielder Benat, according to Spanish daily AS.
The 25-year-old was targeted by Swansea City during the summer transfer window, but Betis stood firm and the Welsh club were forced to concede defeat in their chase.
relatedNewsStoryBenat has taken great strides forward in recent years and now counts himself as a fully fledged member of Vicente del Bosque’s Spain squad.
An Athletic Bilbao youth product, Benat has now come to the attention of two of England’s biggest clubs, in the shape of Arsenal and Liverpool.
Both are now seriously tracking the Basque midfielder and could launch a bid as soon as the January transfer window swings open.
Betis however have let it be known that they will not sell Benat on the cheap, instead forcing interested parties to either meet the player’s release clause, set at €20M, or walk away.
Indeed, Betis are believed to have knocked back previous enquiries for the midfielder, which valued him at €15M.
Despite this though, the club have been forced to concede that Benat could leave in January, with financial and contractual considerations (Benat’s current deal expires in 2014) being a key component in any departure.
"We can’t rule out the possibility that Benat could leave in the winter", said Betis director Jose Antonio Bosch Valero to Onda Cero.
"Negotiations on a [contract] renewal are fluid, but so far no progress has been made because the positions are so different.
"We realise that Benat may earn more at other clubs than at Betis."
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