Arsenal are reportedly keen to boast their defence during this winter transfer window, which opens in January. Mikel Arteta has already informed the club about the need for more options in the defensive line. According to several media reports, Arsenal have been keeping their eyes on Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch international is currently one of the top-rated defenders in Europe. He rose to fame after reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League with Ajax in the 2018-19 season, under now-Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.
In recent times, Arsenal have struggled to play with a constant backline due to injuries of several first-team defenders including Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko. In their absence, Arteta had to shift the positions of the players to fill the vacant spaces in the starting eleven.
The Gunners boss has managed to resolve the issue with the right-back position by deploying Ben White there. But he has yet to find an option at the centre of defence. Tomiyasu and Partey are reportedly recovering quickly. However, Arsenal might miss the services of the duo for a few more weeks owing to their international commitments with Japan and Ghana. Both the Asian Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations are set to be held in early 2024.
Arsenal were seen using defensive midfielder Declan Rice as a centre-back during a Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven earlier this month. Addressing the move after the game, Arteta acknowledged the need for defensive reinforcements, saying, “We are very short at the back and I wanted to try if something happens, how we’re going to resolve that situation.”
Earlier, a report by football.london claimed that Arsenal might struggle to spend much during the January transfer window given their high expenditure in the summer. In that case, the Premier League side might find it difficult to secure the signing of Matthijs de Ligt. The 24-year-old joined Bayern Munich in July of 2022, agreeing to a five-year deal for a fee worth up to €80million. The Bundesliga champions initially paid €70million and were liable for €10million in add-ons.
Though de Ligt has struggled to get the desired game time with Bayern Munich, boss Thomas Tuchel may not be in a hurry to part ways with him, considering his talent and skills. Going by that, Arsenal may look into a loan deal for de Ligt with an option to purchase him in the summer.
Comments
0 comment