Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has reportedly drawn up a long wish-list for the summer transfer window after his difficult start at the Emirates Stadium.
And among his targets is impressive Bournemouth defender and former Chelsea ace Nathan Ake, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
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The Netherlands international has shone in his time with the Cherries, and it makes sense that he would be seen as a player ready to make the step up to a bigger club.
Transfermarkt have Ake’s value at around £31.5million, but of course he may well end up costing a great deal more than that.
Arsenal, however, surely need to spend whatever it takes on a quality centre-back this summer after a pretty dire season in which David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos have looked like real weak links in the team.
Ake clearly seems like he’d be a significant upgrade, so Gooners will no doubt be hoping this transfer rumour can turn into something more concrete in the months ahead.
It remains to be seen, though, if Arsenal can land the calibre of targets they want without Champions League football next season, and they’re running out of time to close the gap on the top four.