After losing ground in the Premier League title race once again, Arsenal are now reportedly leading the race to sign a defender worth a hefty £50m.
Arsenal transfer news
Mikel Arteta’s side were in good spirits ahead of Aston Villa’s visit. They had cut the gap on Liverpool and the title race very much seemed back on. After Darwin Nunez netted two late goals for the Reds to defeat Brentford, though, it was once again the Gunners who slipped up as the Villans came from behind to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw.
Now six points behind leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand, Arsenal could turn towards the transfer market in an attempt to bridge that gap once and for all in the coming months.
On that front, the likes of Benjamin Sesko have already been mentioned. The RB Leipzig striker would instantly sharpen what has been a fairly blunt Arsenal frontline from open play at times. However, before they can focus on that frontline, those in north London could reportedly welcome yet another defender.
According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are now the favourites to sign Ousmane Diomande ahead of Premier League rivals Chelsea, with the Sporting CP man preferring a move to London.
He won’t come cheap, though, with Sporting demanding between €50-60m (£42-51m) to sell their centre-back this month. Whether Arsenal splash out to match such a price remains to be seen, but those at the Emirates saw just how big the drop-off can be within that backline when William Saliba was unavailable against Aston Villa.
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A few players in red and white weren’t at the races for Arsenal on Saturday.
Signing another defender may sound like an absurd idea amid their attacking struggles, but the Gunners need a player who can match the levels of both Saliba and Gabriel in the event of their absences.
“Complete” Diomande can provide key depth
Arsenal have been forced to cope without Saliba and Gabriel at various times all too often, and simply put, their options from the bench simply do not share the same world-class quality as the duo – be it Riccardo Calafiori or Jakub Kiwior. By contrast, Diomande is a player destined to reach such a level whether he completes a move to Arsenal or elsewhere.
|
League stats 24/25 (via FBref) |
Ousmane Diomande |
William Saliba |
Gabriel |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Starts |
15 |
20 |
20 |
|
Progressive passes |
47 |
68 |
90 |
|
Tackles won |
12 |
25 |
11 |
|
Ball recoveries |
83 |
87 |
47 |
The numbers don’t lie, and it’s clear that as a 21-year-old defender, Diomande could easily become the future of Arsenal’s backline if they make their move to beat Chelsea this month or in the summer transfer window.
Described as “complete” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, the Sporting man will be one to watch as the season goes on. Another defensive signing may divide opinions at the Emirates, but Aston Villa exposed just how much weaker Arsenal are without adequate options to replace Saliba when he is struck by injury.
