Arsenal have reportedly joined the race to sign Domagoj Vida, who is also being targeted by Liverpool for a move this summer.
According to a report by Turkish outlet Milliyet, Arsenal have emerged as the latest suitors in pursuit of Domagoj Vida. The Croatian defender looks set to depart from Besiktas in the summer transfer window, with the likes of Liverpool and West Ham United also interested in him.
Vida’s stock has skyrocketed after an outstanding World Cup campaign, wherein he played a key role in Croatia’s journey to the final. And so, while he has only been at Besiktas for six months, the player could already be on his way out of Vodafone Park, with several clubs tailing him.
There were talks of Barcelona being interested as well. But, the bulk of the interest comes from the Premier League, with the likes of Liverpool, Everton and West Ham United among his suitors. They now face stiff competition from another rival, with the report suggesting that Arsenal too, have joined the race to sign Vida.
The interest from Arsenal is not surprising, despite the arrival of Sokratis Papastathopoulos. The need to bolster the heart of defence still does not seem to have dissipated, with Shkodran Mustafi being heavily linked with a summer exit. That leaves Unai Emery with the inexperienced duo of Rob Holding and Konstantinos Mavropanos as his only other options.
With Calum Chambers set to be deployed as a midfielder next season and Laurent Koscielny likely to miss half the campaign, if not more, Arsenal could do with another centre-back. Liverpool, on the other hand, are likely eyeing Vida with the view of beefing up Jurgen Klopp’s options.
The Liverpool boss has a well settled central defensive partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren. Beyond them, however, neither Joel Matip nor Ragnar Klavan have proven to be reliable customers for the Reds. Vida is thus, a viable target whose understanding with Lovren could come in handy over the course of the season, should Liverpool sign him.
Everton and West Ham are attractive prospects as well. But, the chance to play in Europe is likely to give Arsenal and Liverpool the advantage in his pursuit. The emergence of the Gunners also bodes well for Besiktas, who have been trying to drive his price up.
The Black Eagles have already rejected a €22 million bid by West Ham, and are looking to recoup €30 million in exchange for the 29-year-old. The report also suggests that Besiktas president Fikret Orman is set to travel to England for talks with the suitors.
Arsenal’s entry into the picture certainly spices things up. But, the Gunners might only launch the offensive for Vida if Mustafi is offloaded, with Emery operating on a limited budget. For now, West Ham and Liverpool are the leaders in his pursuit, with Champions League football likely to tilt the scales in the Reds’ favour.
