Arsenal appear to have started negotiations regarding the free transfer of an experienced Premier League defender this summer, though they face some competition for the star’s signature.
Goal report that the Gunners have joined AC Milan and Monaco with approaches to sign Southampton full-back Ryan Bertrand on a free, with Manchester City also reportedly having made contact.
Bertrand looks set to end his time with the Saints after his seventh season, with Goal pointing to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s comments in which the manager stated an ‘offer’ of renewal was not ‘accepted’ on the left-back’s side and that there is ‘no solution’.
Arsenal actually attempted to recruit Bertrand at the mid-season point, with Goal reporting that the North London outfit saw an offer rejected for the 31-year-old during the January transfer window.
It seems as though Arsenal are once again in the market for another left-back, with the side in need of better cover for the injury-prone Kieran Tierney.
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Mikel Arteta’s side recruited Cedric Soares from Southampton last January in an initial loan deal that was made permanent last summer, whilst the ace has covered at left-back, it’s not his natural side.
Bertrand boasts massive experience in the Premier League, with 258 top-flight appearances to his name and he holds some understanding of what it’s like at a big club, having come through at Chelsea.
The Gunners definitely need another option at left-back considering that Granit Xhaka had been deputising there recently, until Tierney’s most recent return from injury.
Whilst some fans may wish for a longer-term option than Bertrand, that would be unfeasible as Tierney is just 23 years old so the club may find it hard to attract someone younger to play second-fiddle.
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