Arsenal have seen both Laurent Koscielny and Carl Jenkinson leave this week, and Unai Emery knows that he needs defensive reinforcements before the deadline.
The Gunners conceded 51 goals in 38 Premier League games last season, which in turn was a key factor behind their failure to break back into the top four.
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While they’ve signed Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid and Nicolas Pepe to bolster their attack further, they have to address that leaky backline as William Saliba is a long-term solution but has returned to Saint Etienne on loan for the season.
In turn, Emery is still likely to be searching for a new centre-half especially after Koscielny and Jenkinson departed, but The Sun report that it could be getting complicated for them.
It’s suggested that they’ve been priced out of moves for Daniele Rugani and Dayot Upamecano, who were valued at £37m and £55m respectively, with Calciomercato suggesting that it’s €40m for Rugani and Juve are not interested in compromising over the fee.
Samuel Umtiti is said to be a loan option, as per the Sun, but time is running out for Arsenal to find a solution with the transfer deadline fast approaching at 5pm on Thursday.
It’s also claimed in that report that given their desperate need for a new central defender, it could force them to prioritise that over Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney, who has long been linked with a £25m move to the Emirates.
With Sead Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal already available to play that position, Emery has to consider what is more important and so with Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis his only two senior defenders with Rob Holding returning from injury, he surely has to focus on that area of the squad.
Time will tell who emerges as the solution, but what is clear is that Arsenal don’t have long to figure it out as they may well have to splash out and use the funds that they assigned to Tierney to put towards a new centre-half.
Alternatively, if they can strike a loan deal for a centre-half, that would give them the freedom to continue their Tierney pursuit on the last day of the window.
