Arsenal manager Unai Emery gives thumbs-up. (Getty Images)
English news outlet Daily Mail has reported that Arsenal have joined the race for Tottenham centre-back Toby Alderweireld. Despite being contracted to arch-rivals Tottenham, the report has revealed that the Gunners are keen on the move for the 30-year-old.
They need defensive reinforcements but they have to be affordable options, given their transfer budget (Mirror). This has seen Arsenal target the likes of Samuel Umtiti (Guardian), Fernando Calero (Tuttomercatoweb), and Eric Bailly (Express).
However, no move materialized in the winter, with the club unable to spend any money. This meant that only loan moves were possible, with Denis Suarez entering the fray.
While this has affected the club, they’ve adjusted well, with left-back Nacho Monreal often deputising as a centre-back. The Spaniard has played well in that position in the past and has adapted well alongside Laurent Koscielny and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
However, he isn’t a long-term solution. A ball-playing centre-back, Toby Alderweireld has been Tottenham’s rock at the back.
He joined the club from Atletico Madrid after spending an impressive season on loan with Southampton and has since gone on to make over 150 appearances for Tottenham. His performances in the summer played a big part in Belgium finishing third in the 2018 World Cup.
That experience combined with his reliability and consistent performances for Tottenham would be a great addition to any team. By giving him a new deal in January, Tottenham effectively activated a release clause of £25million in the summer (Guardian).
The Belgian International would be a very cost-effective option for the Gunners.
While a move will be tough to make, given the club that Alderweireld plays for at the moment, it’s a move that will boost Arsenal’s back-line. They have the second worst defence among the top six sides this season, conceding 40 goals so far.
Only Manchester United have a worse record, conceding 44. Injuries to key players, including Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin have further affected the club, showing exactly why a reliable player like Toby Alderweireld would be perfect.
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Arsenal need a few new additions across the board to turn them back into a very effective Premier League and Champions League club.
But given their meagre transfer budget, as mentioned above, the Gunners need affordable options. Only a few players in the world of such quality are affordable at such a price in the summer.
The Tottenham link will make any move for the Belgian extremely complicated, but it’s one race that Arsenal should try to win.
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