HERE WE GO: Arsenal SET to complete the signing of another ‘fantastic player’ and are ready to challenge for titles- Medicals have been booked and is scheduled for the next few days- ‘ Here we go’ confirmed
Arsenal could launch an opening bid to kickstart negotiations over signing a £50 million England star this summer, as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen one key area of his side.
Edu and Arteta planning defensive overhaul at Arsenal
Assisted by the club’s sporting director, Edu, Arsenal’s manager could oversee a defensive overhaul in the coming weeks – despite the Gunners boasting a better defensive record than any other Premier League team last season.
Arsenal contact club over signing £52m Euro 2024 star who Barcelona want
No other top flight side conceded fewer goals than Arteta’s men over 2023/2024, with Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba shining at the heart of Arteta’s defence yet again, but a cause for concern is their lack of central defensive depth behind the pair.
Indeed, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Ben White are all capable of playing centre-back, but Arteta seems more inclined to use them as makeshift full-back options at this moment in time.
Arsenal are reportedly interested in Euro 2024 star Ferdi Kadioglu, after his impressive season at Fenerbahce, so perhaps the Turkey international full-back’s signing would allow Arteta to deploy one of Tomiyasu, Kiwior or White at centre-half more often.
However, reports suggest that Arsenal are in fact keen on bringing in another central defender, who can provide solid back up to Saliba and Gabriel. Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano claims Arsenal are big fans of Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, and Gunners chiefs believe they’re in fact frontrunners to seal a potential deal.
“Arsenal are also working on their future, we know they have many wonderkids in the academy, but there is a player they love. He is playing at Ajax, a centre-back and it is Jorrel Hato,” Romano said on the Here We Go podcast last month.
Hato signed a new deal at Ajax two months ago, but Arsenal are still following him. They believe Hato is a top centre-back in terms of potential. Keep an eye on Arsenal, they are still pushing for Hato, they believe they are frontrunners in the race to sign him. Let’s see if they can make it happen this summer or if it has to be in the future.”
Another defensive acquisition to watch out for, and one who would greatly bolster Arteta’s ranks, is Crystal Palace stalwart Marc Guehi.
Arsenal could launch opening Guehi bid to kickstart talks
The Eagles ace, who was rewarded for his excellent form last season with a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 England squad, started for the Three Lions against Serbia and earned plaudits for his performance.
Arteta and co are now ready to test Palace’s resolve when it comes to selling the 23-year-old. According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal could kickstart talks by making an opening bid for Guehi, but they face competition from Newcastle United in this regard.
He’s valued at around £50 million by Selhurst Park chiefs, which Arsenal consider too steep for the time being, but it isn’t ruled out that they could try and whittle the price down in negotiations.
It’ll also be interesting to see whether Guehi would consider a move to north London, as the presence of Saliba and Gabriel means he’d have to battle much more for regular game time.
