Bayern Munich have reportedly informed Jerome Boateng they will not be allowing him a transfer away from the club this January.
Arsenal had been linked with making an approach for Boateng in a recent report from Foot Mercato, but it seems the Gunners will now have to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements.
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According to Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk, Bayern do not want to risk letting Boateng leave this winter due to concerns over the small size of their current squad.
Update @JB17Official: @FCBayern informed Boateng that he is not allowed to leave the Club in winter due to the small squad (our @SPORTBILD Story) @altobelli13
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) January 15, 2020
In truth, this could be a bullet dodged for Arsenal, who surely needed to be aiming higher in their search for a new centre-back anyway.
In David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, the north London giants already have two ageing and unreliable players as their first choice pairing in central defence.
It would surely make sense to go for someone at the peak of their game, or at least not so close to the final years of their career.
Boateng is no doubt a top talent on his day, but he’s had fitness problems in recent times that have seen his overall performance levels go down.