Arsenal handed fresh Hickey transfer hope after Brentford boss issues refusal

Arsenal have been given renewed hope of sealing a deal for Bologna starlet Aaron Hickey with Brentford boss Thomas Frank refusing to comment on a transfer.

The Gunners have been linked with the young Scot for some time, with reports earlier this summer claiming that they were close to sealing a deal for the defender. However, Premier League rivals Brentford appear to have edged ahead in the race with rumours over a move to West London.

It has been suggested that the Bees have agreed a £14m fee with the Serie A club regarding a switch with the hope that Hickey will fly to the UK to undergo a medical and put the final touches on a switch next week.

Despite a deal appearing to be imminent, Brentford boss Frank has remained tight-lipped on Hickey's potential arrival but did signal his excitement at discussing the player's potential as of when he officially puts pen to paper.

Speaking to Sky Sports at the British Grand Prix with a wry smile, he said: "You know there's a lot of rumours out there. I love speaking about players, especially my players. So if he signs, I would love to speak about him [Hickey]."

Hickey has certainly caught the eye over the past year with his performances for Bologna. Capable of playing on both flanks, the 20-year-old full-back arrived from Hearts in 2020.

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After making 12 appearances in his debut season, he established himself in the first-team last term with 36 league outings and five goals to his name. The four-time Scotland international still has two years remaining on his current contract with Bologna.

It, of course, remains to be seen whether Arsenal can take advantage of Frank's hesitancy over a deal - or indeed it is the Dane's cheeky way of keeping an imminent deal under wraps but either way the Gunners would remain keen on Hickey's services.

The north London side have regularly been targeting a number of promising young players over the last few transfer windows, with sporting director Edu remaining hopeful of continuing that approach to incomings for the foreseeable future.

Speaking last month, the Brazilian said: "We have to go into the market for exciting players with the right age, right attitude and right mentality.

"We want to see a club like Arsenal with a young squad, an exciting squad with a big, big future because as I said last summer, the idea is to have a young squad. We want to give them the opportunity to play together for two, three, four, five or six seasons.

"We still have a lot to do but are really excited to start the season with the players we target and the players we want to sign."