‘He told me He will join Arsenal’: Luka Modric CONFIRMED £33M international teammate rejected Real Madrid move to join Arsenal in the summer
Arsenal are reportedly interested in a move for Josip Sutalo, with the Croatian defender set to cost €18 million.
According to Fichajes, Arsenal are considering a move for 23-year-old defender Josip Sutalo. Mikel Arteta wants to reinforce the backline with another player as an option on the right side. Injuries may have already cost them the chance to win the Premier League.
It has been a strange few weeks at Arsenal, considering how they have fallen off the Premier League title chase. Three draws and a big loss to Manchester City may have already cost them the chance to win the Champions League. Mikel Arteta wants to correct those transfer market mistakes and strengthen the team.
Arsenal have seen fewer injuries to their players during the season. Yet, their whole campaign may have unravelled due to one Europa League game. The Gunners lost Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba to injuries in the same half against Sporting CP, which may have cost them the season.
More so, the prolonged absence of Saliba has rendered them weak at the back, with Rob Holding not considered up to the mark to cover for the Frenchman. The latter has performed decently, but his presence coincided with Arsenal’s performance drop.
Arteta wants to use the transfer market in the summer to correct some of those mistakes. He wants to add strong, reliable options after the season, and there are a few focus areas. Declan Rice remains their priority for the summer, while reports suggest Arsenal also want Moises Caicedo.
In light of recent weeks, the need for a new right centre-back has also become glaringly evident. Evan Ndicka got mentioned before, but amid the competition for the Frenchman, Arsenal will think it’s wise to target someone else.
Recent reports also linked Manchester United target Jurrien Timber with a move. Now Arsenal are reportedly interested in a transfer for Josip Sutalo. The 23-year-old Croatian centre-back could depart Dinamo Zagreb in the summer if a big club comes calling.
Croatian media suggests it would take €18 million to sign the Croatian defender, which may seem agreeable from Arsenal’s perspective. Sutalo has been performing well for Zagreb this season and started all six Champions League games.
Arteta must have a European calibre player, as his squad lacks in large parts heading into the Champions League next season. With squad depth needed to compete with the best teams across all competitions, adding the €18 million-rated Croatian defender will help the manager bridge the gap.
For now, Arsenal will continue to look deeper into the situation with the €18 million-rated Croatian defender. They could start talks with Zagreb in the summer, hoping the competition isn’t too much. He will prove an astute signing for that price, considering the Gunners will have to spend considerably to strengthen other areas.