Arsenal are reportedly looking to strengthen their wide defence with a move for former Chelsea star Filipe Luis, who is on his way out of Atletico Madrid.

Kick Off report that Arsenal could take advantage of the contract situation of Filipe Luis to engineer a move for him in the January transfer window. The Gunners are looking to strengthen their left flank in defence and could make a move for the former Chelsea man, whose Atletico Madrid contract is set to expire in the summer.

Filipe Luis was one of the two Atletico Madrid stars to make their way to Chelsea in the summer of 2014. While he did not receive as much success in his position as Diego Costa did upfront, the Brazilian was still a handy customer on the left and recorded 26 appearances for the club before opting to return to Atletico Madrid.

One season of Premier League football did see Luis bag the Premier League and the League Cup, now called the EFL Cup. Luis has managed to add another Europa League trophy to his cabinet since returning to Atletico Madrid. But, the Brazilian finds himself competing with Lucas Hernandez for a spot in the starting eleven.

Atletico Madrid have not made any headway towards getting Luis to commit to a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in the summer. This prompted PSG to pursue Luis in the recently concluded transfer window. But, Atletico Madrid’s demand to meet their €30 million asking price for a soon-to-be out-of-contract 33-year-old saw PSG sign Juan Bernat from Bayern Munich instead.

Filipe Luis will also add some winning mentality to the Arsenal dressing room. (Picture Courtesy - AFP/Getty Images)
Filipe Luis will also add some winning mentality to the Arsenal dressing room. (Picture Courtesy – AFP/Getty Images)

Arsenal though, could launch a move for him, depending on Unai Emery’s interest; at least that is what Kick Off report.

The Gunners do have Sead Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal to fill up the left side of the defence. But, the former is out with an injury since the start of the season while Monreal hasn’t exactly been lighting up the said position under Unai Emery.

The Spanish veteran is also out of contract in the coming summer, which means there might be a need to reinforce the left-back area. The pursuit of Filipe Luis will not exactly break Arsenal’s bank, with Atletico Madrid unlikely to maintain their asking price of €30 million, considering the fact that Luis can negotiate a pre-contract with other clubs starting from January.

While the Brazilian’s one season in the Premier League with Chelsea wasn’t exactly a successful one individually, his experience in the league, however minute, will see him take to surroundings quickly.

Filipe Luis donning the Arsenal shirt might not be a farfetched idea, considering the club’s need and the player’s wish to play on a regular basis.

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