Arsene Wenger will look to strengthen his defensive options by making an £11m bid for Swansea City centre-back Ashley Williams, an offer that is said to meet the South Wales side’s valuation of the no nonsense 28 year old defender.
On hearing of Arsenal’s interest Williams is thought to have made it clear to his Liberty Stadium employers that he wants to move to the North London club. It’s a step-up that the Welsh international can not afford to ignore at this stage of his career.
Wenger sees Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker as his first choice centre-back pairing but has not been all that pleased with the form shown by Belgian Thomas Vermaelen, who was frozen out of first team action in the final months of 2012/13 and as such is keen to bring in Williams to offer him stronger fall-back options.
Though a move to Arsenal is with a view to filling a supporting role Ashley Williams may feel he can force his way into Wenger’s plans and over the past 18 months the tough tackler has been in fine form and is a reliable defender who never shirks a tackle.