Mikel Arteta has identified Borussia Monchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi as his latest Arsenal target as the Spaniard looks to bolster his options.
According to Le10Sport, as relayed by The Sun, Arsenal have emerged as the latest club to be interested in Nico Elvedi. The Borussia Monchengladbach defender has been identified as an ideal candidate as Mikel Arteta looks to reinforce his defensive options in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Le10Sport (h/t The Sun) further state that Elvedi is valued around £25 million and Gladbach could be forced to sell the defender, whose contract at Borussia Park expires at the end of next season. It could be a massive loss for the Foals, who have enjoyed a lot of success under Marco Rose this season.
The defensive combination between Elvedi and Matthias Ginter has been central to their revival, with the Bundesliga giants appear much more solid at the back nowadays. In fact, the Swiss international has established himself as a household name in the Bundesliga. He has featured in over 150 competitive matches for Gladbach while winning 17 caps for the Rossocrociati.
However, given his success at the club, it could be time for Elvedi to move on, with Arsenal emerging as an appealing destination.
Unlike Gladbach, the Gunners have been enduring a defensive crisis over the past few years. Since the summer departure of Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal have lacked leadership as well as technicality in the backline, with new signing David Luiz failing to live up to the expectations.
Pablo Mari has done a good job since arriving at the club in January; so much so, that manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly willing to secure a permanent deal from Flamengo. However, the Spaniard is yet to be tested against a tougher side since joining Arsenal while experienced defensive figureheads like Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi have not fared any better either.
Hence, the north London giants are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements in the summer. William Saliba is already due to return from loan his spell at St. Etienne and the acquisition of Elvedi, in that regard, should significantly strengthen Arsenal’s backline.
The technical prowess as well as the positional intelligence possessed by these two young defensive individuals could enhance the overall quality of the Arsenal backline as they look to compete with the top dogs of English football next season.
Even from a financial perspective, Elvedi’s reported £25 million valuation is reasonable for a player of his calibre, while also potentially fitting in Arsenal’s budget. Hence, Arsenal must try their best to get hold of this talented Swiss centre-back this summer, although it remains to be seen if a move can be completed this summer.
