Arsenal could be in for another busy summer and Mikel Arteta is apparently keen to sign one of Europe’s top-rated defenders.
The Gunners are in for another summer where quality over quantity will be key.
Arteta saw his Arsenal side narrowly miss out on the Premier League title to Manchester City for a second year running and it’s a case of going for broke next season.
In order to narrow the gap to City and overtake them, Arsenal know they need players who can come in and either start or seriously pressure key players.
And according to reports from Portugal, Arsenal are keen on one of Benfica’s top stars.
Mikel Arteta wants Antonio Silva at Arsenal
According to a report from Correio da Manha, Arteta would like Arsenal to sign defender Antonio Silva.
The Benfica ace is widely regarded as one of the top defenders in Portugal right now and naturally, could command a huge fee.
According to the report, Benfica have made it clear to Arsenal and others than Silva will cost at least 100m Euros, or around £85m. Indeed, that figure is believed to be the release-clause in his contract.
It’s suggested that Mikel Arteta wants to bring a new defender in to further increase competition at the back and put pressure on Gabriel and William Saliba.
Quite whether Arsenal can do any better defensively remains to be seen. The Gunners had the best defence in England all season, conceding less than 30 league goals.
The ‘incredible‘ Silva is also a target for Liverpool, with reports claiming Arne Slot has told the Reds to sign him.
Taking a leaf out of Guardiola’s book?
For all the attacking talent Manchester City have at their disposal, one thing Pep Guardiola has done in recent seasons is really strengthen the central defensive areas.
City have the likes of John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake all more than comfortable at centre-half, while Kyle Walker can slot in if needed.
Arsenal, then, could be going the similar route if spending £85m on a new defender is part of their plan.
Quite how that would work with Saliba and Gabriel in the building, only Arteta knows.
However, managers often make big calls and you’d imagine Arteta won’t be afraid to make the big decisions this summer if needed.