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Arsenal are looking at bringing in a versatile French defender to their squad in a bid to improve cover at the back.
The Gunners were flying high in the Premier League until an injury to William Saliba somewhat derailed their campaign. The young centre-back was taken off against Sporting with a back problem and Arsenal have struggled without him ever since.
The injury was compounded by the loss of Takehiro Tomiyasu in the same match, with the Japanese full-back being ruled out for the season after suffering a knock in the same game. It has left some questioning the depth that Arsenal have at the back compared to the likes of Manchester City.
Furthermore, makeshift right-back Ben White’s struggles defensively at the weekend perhaps imply that more cover is needed, with the centre-back having to fill in on the right side of defence for most of this season, including every single minute since the loss of Tomiyasu.
Ed Aarons (opens in new tab) of the Guardian (opens in new tab), however, claims that Arteta is set to address these issues by bringing in Mohamed Simakin of RB Leipzig to add to the depth in defence.
The French defender ticks a number of boxes for the Gunners. At 6’1, he has the commanding frame that Arteta favours from his defenders while at Leipzig, he has played both on the right of the defence and centrally.
Simakin is still just 23, too, but unlikely to cost most than £30 million. Arteta may wish to mould him from a squad player into a first-choice player for seasons to come.
Arsenal are believed to be eyeing a new centre-back this summer, with Ben White now established as a full-back – but Simakin would offer the option of being able to play both roles.
Transfermarkt (opens in new tab) estimates Simakin to be valued at €28m.
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Arsenal are already being linked with a host of big names ahead of a season back in the Champions League.
Mason Mount is an option in midfield, with Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic and Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby rumoured in the attack. Both Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Crystal Palace star Wilf Zaha are on the radar, too. Younger stars are interesting the Gunners, too: Vitor Roque might end up at the Emirates, while Flamengo’s Matheus Franca is being watched.
Meanwhile, cult hero Mathieu Flamini has refused to rule out a move to buy Arsenal.
