Arsenal hold a strong interest in signing an “outstanding” defender, who has now been identified as Mikel Arteta‘s priority target.
Gunners looking to strengthen their defence this summer
The Premier League title race is starting to heat up, with Manchester City closing the gap to three points courtesy of a 3-0 victory against Fulham on Wednesday night, which makes it even more important the Gunners emerge victorious against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium this evening.
Arteta’s side have been setting the pace at the top of the table for quite some time, and a strong defence has been the key to their success, shipping just 17 goals in the Premier League, the fewest of any side.
Gabriel has been particularly impressive, with the Brazilian averaging 1.1 blocks per 90 and 5.8 clearances per 90, ranking first in Arteta’s squad on both metrics, but a recent report has suggested the manager is looking to bring in a new partner for William Saliba this summer.
According to a report from Spain, Arsenal now hold a strong interest in signing RB Leipzig star Castello Lukeba, and the defender has been identified as Arteta’s priority target, with the Spaniard looking to bring in additional depth in defence.
Given that Ben White’s future is up in the air, the north Londoners may need to sign a new defender at the end of the season, and there is a belief Lukeba is the ideal option, with RB Leipzig open to a sale for a fee in the region of €60m (£52m), despite a €80m (£70m) release clause.
Real Madrid are also in the race for the centre-back, so there could be fierce competition for his signature, but the Gunners are confident they will be able to win the race, and he could be a solid replacement for White…
“Outstanding” Lukeba could be solid long-term signing for Arsenal
Described as “outstanding” by scout Ben Mattinson, the Frenchman has been an important member of the RB Leipzig side this season, prior to a recent knee injury, making 16 appearances in the Bundesliga.
During that time, the 23-year-old’s defensive attributes have been on display regularly, averaging 1.5 interceptions per 90, the second-highest number in the Leipzig squad, while an average of 62.3 accurate passes per 90 ranks him in first place.
It may be important to bring in a new centre-back in the summer transfer window, given that there are doubts over White’s future, amid interest from a rival Premier League club.
Arsenal now keen on “explosive” Real Madrid player amid interest in Ben White
The Gunners are looking to sign a new defender.
Lukeba has proven he could now be ready to move to the Premier League, and he could be a solid long-term addition to Arteta’s defence, but Gabriel doesn’t need replacing anytime soon, with the 28-year-old most recently putting in a solid performance in the 3-0 win against Sunderland, earning a 7.8 SofaScore rating.
