Arsenal and Tottenham are reportedly eyeing a sensational summer swoop for Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng.
According to a report in TransferMarketWeb, Jerome Boateng is the subject of interest of Arsenal and Tottenham, with the North London rivals set to go head-to-head in pursuit of the Bayern Munich centre-back in the summer transfer window.
Boateng has evolved into one of the most dependable central defenders in the world since moving to Bayern Munich from Manchester City in 2011. Nearly six years on, and the Germany international has established himself as an instrumental member for both club and country.
In fact, Boateng has played a fundamental role in making Bayern and the German national side two of the most defensively solid teams in the world. However, 2016/17 has been a season of struggles for Boateng, as a spate of injuries have reduced his playing time significantly.
Boateng has managed to feature in less than half the games that Bayern have played across all competitions this season, with a mere 19 appearances against his name. However, having recovered completely from his fitness trouble, he has been left dismayed at his omission from Bayern’s crucial DFB-Pokal semifinal match against Borussia Dortmund.
As a result, he has requested a meeting with manager Carlo Ancelotti and club officials to seek clarity on his position in the first-team picture. And with uncertainty surrounding his future at the Allianz Arena, Arsenal and Tottenham are looking to poach Boateng away from Bayern in the summer.
Arsenal have suffered from an astounding capitulation in the current campaign, going from Premier League title contenders to mounting a late fight for a place in the Top 4. Defence has often been underpinned as one of the primary reasons for the Gunners’ failures this season.
To make matters worse, defensive mainstay Laurent Koscielny has been linked with a summer move away from the Emirates. Should the Frenchman leave the club, Arsene Wenger’s need to sign a central defender will only be accentuated further.
Even if Koscielny ends up staying, Boateng could slot into the back-three in Arsene Wenger’s new system alongside Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi to improve Arsenal’s defence significantly. However, Arsenal are not alone in their pursuit of the German defender, with rivals Tottenham keen on signing him as well.
Belgian centre-back Toby Alderweireld, who has held fort at the back for the North London club in the last two seasons, has his future with Tottenham mired in uncertainty after he reportedly rejected a renewal at the club.
And who better to replace your best defender with than someone who is considered to be among the finest centre-backs of his generation. At 28, Boateng will also be able to provide at least 3-4 years of quality service to the suitors, which makes the German one of the rare perfect solutions for both the sides.
The Germany international will also bring a winning mentality to both these clubs as they strive to win the Premier League title next season. His unique ball playing abilities will also add a lot of potency to Arsenal and Tottenham’s attack as he could set up the advanced players with his vision.
Boateng’s current deal with Die Roten runs till the summer of 2021, which means he could command a sizeable transfer fee, and it remains to be seen if the player indeed ends up moving to one of the aforementioned Premier League heavyweights.
