After losing ground in Premier League Race for the title again Arsenal They are now reportedly leading the race to sign a £50m defender.
Arsenal transfer news
Mikel ArtetaThe 's team were in good spirits ahead of the visit of Aston Villa. They closed the gap on Liverpool and it looked like the title race had started again. After Darwin Núñez scored two late goals for the Reds to beat Brentford, it was Arsenal who stumbled again as the Villains came from behind to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw.
Now six points behind leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand, Arsenal could turn to the transfer market in a bid to close that gap once and for all in the coming months.
On this front, proverbs Benjamin Sisco It has been mentioned previously. The RB Leipzig striker will immediately sharpen what has been a fairly straightforward Arsenal attacking line of open play at times. However, before they can focus on that frontline, the north Londoners could reportedly welcome another defender.
According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are now favorites to sign Ousmane Diomandi Before rivals in the English Premier League Chelsea, where the Sporting Lisbon player prefers to move to London.
However, it won't be cheap, with Sporting asking between €50-60m (£42-51m) to sell the centre-back this month. It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will move to match that price, but those at the Emirates Stadium saw how big the drop could be inside the defensive line when William Saliba was unavailable against Aston Villa.
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Signing another defender may seem like a silly idea amid their attacking struggles, but the Gunners need a player who can match the level of both Saliba and Gabriel in their absence.
The “full” Diomande can provide key depth
Arsenal have had to cope without Saliba and Gabriel at different times more often than not, and their options from the bench simply do not share the same world-class quality as the duo – be it Riccardo Calafiore or Jakob Queor. By contrast, Diomande is a player destined to reach this level whether he completes his move to Arsenal or elsewhere.
|
League Statistics 24/25 (via FBref) |
Othman Diomande |
William Saliba |
Gabrielle |
|---|---|---|---|
|
It starts |
15 |
20 |
20 |
|
Progressive passes |
47 |
68 |
90 |
|
Won tackles |
12 |
25 |
11 |
|
Retrieve the ball |
83 |
87 |
47 |
Numbers don't lie, and it is clear that Diomande, as a 21-year-old defender, could easily become the future of Arsenal's backline if they move to beat Chelsea this month or in the summer transfer window.
Described as “complete” before Football talent scout Jacek Kuligthe athletic man will be one to watch as the season continues. Another defensive signing may divide opinions at the Emirates Stadium, but Aston Villa has exposed just how vulnerable Arsenal are without enough options to replace Saliba when he is injured.