Arsenal are reportedly ready to rival Tottenham Hotspur in the pursuit of Fulham’s on-loan Lyon centre-back Joachim Andersen this season.
A recent report from Daily Mirror suggests Arsenal are closely monitoring the situation of Joachim Andersen. The Fulham centre-back, on loan from Lyon, has attracted interest from clubs across Europe after impressing in the Premier League, with the Gunners reportedly joining West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in his pursuit.
Andersen is currently valued at £20 million, with the defender also being heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month. Even Fulham are believed to keen on securing his services on a permanent basis next season, but their likely failure in retaining their Premier League status could dampen their hopes of doing so, although the player is quite happy at Craven Cottage.
In fact, the Dane shares a great relationship with head coach Scott Parker, who had even given him the role of captaincy earlier in the campaign. Andersen has since impressed with his leadership, aggression and composure on the ball that has added a new dimension to Fulham’s defensive unit, even though the Cottagers have continued to struggle in the top-flight.
At Arsenal, the 24-year-old is likely being considered as a long-term replacement for David Luiz, whose contract at the Emirates expires at the end of the season. The club is yet to hold talks over a potential new deal while other defenders, including Calum Chambers and Sead Kolasinac, are facing an uncertain future at the club.
Andersen, in that regard, could emerge as an ideal competitor for the under-performing and inconsistent Gabriel Magalhaes as well as the injury-prone Pablo Mari. He can also prove to be an upgrade over Rob Holding, although the Englishman has arguably been Arsenal’s best defender this season.
The Danish international has already proven himself in the Premier League and his technical prowess is ideally suited to Mikel Arteta’s tactical philosophy. And for a fee of just £20 million, Andersen could indeed be a bargain for Arsenal, although they are facing stiff competition from rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Either way, the Gunners need to be swift in their approach to sign Andersen, especially with arch-rivals Tottenham and West Ham United expected to go all out for the services of the Lyon centre-back this summer.
