fbpx

Arsenal to go back in for Marc Guehi, Arteta aims to beat Man City in race

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has his sights on beating Manchester City in the race to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi next summer, according to The Sun.

The Gunners bolstered their squad with four quality signings over the summer transfer window and they are likely to spend again when the transfer window reopens.

Guehi is one of the players on top of the club’s wishlist, but The Sun report that a deal is unlikely until the summer with Palace reluctant to part ways with their prized asset.

Manchester City are also admirers of the central defender, but the Gunners are aiming to pip them to the player just as they did with Declan Rice in the last transfer window.

Arsenal’s interest in Guehi comes as a surprise

The Gunners currently have William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as the regular central defensive pairing. Jakub Kiwior is presently the immediate back-up option for the club.

Arteta could also use the services of Takehiro Tomiyasu in the role when required. There is also Jurrien Timber, who is currently recovering from a long-term knee injury.

With the defensive depth, there does not appear an urgent need for another centre-half, but we won’t be surprised if the manager is eyeing more competition for places.

Guehi has made a huge impression since his move to Palace. This season, he has a passing accuracy of 90 per cent with 4.6 clearances and 5.1 ball recoveries per outing.

The 23-year-old has also won 66 per cent of his ground and aerial duels. Hence, he has settled nicely in his role and could be up for a bigger challenge next campaign.

Palace could be eyeing a club-record fee exceeding the £50 million sum paid by Manchester United for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but a deal may not be straightforward for Arsenal.

Even if they beat Man City in the pursuit, London rivals Chelsea have the option to matching any bid which could hamper the Gunnners’ chances of landing the centre-back.

Stats from Sofascore.com & Transfermarkt.com

Subscribe for notification