Gary Lineker and Rio Ferdinand have both praised one Arsenal target after his latest display at Euro 2024.
A few Arsenal stars have already featured at this year’s tournament in Germany and Bukayo Saka was the latest to make his mark.
The 22-year-old started from off as England beat Serbia 1-0 and his assist for Jude Bellingham’s opener proved to be vital.
While Mikel Arteta is likely to be keeping tabs on his star players in Germany, one of Saka’s England teammates may have also caught his eye.
Marc Guehi marked his first appearance at a major tournament for England with a solid showing alongside John Stones.
The centre-back has long been on Arsenal’s radar and was even identified as a potential replacement for Gabriel Magalhaes last summer.
Now, after an eye-catching display in England’s Euro 2024 opener, the Crystal Palace star has received praise from Gary Lineker and Rio Ferdinand.
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Lineker and Ferdinand deliver verdict on Arsenal target Marc Guehi
Much was made about England’s apparent weakness at centre-back following Harry Maguire’s injury. But Guehi slotted in seamlessly alongside John Stones and was among England’s best performers on the night.
Speaking on the BBC’s coverage of last night’s game, both Ferdinand and Lineker were keen to highlight the 23-year-old’s performance.
“He is 23 years old, he is captain of Crystal Palace already,” Ferdinand said.
“I have liked him for a long time,” Lineker commented.
Ferdinand then added: “I don’t like emotional defenders, and he is not one of those.”
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What Southgate said about Guehi’s display vs Serbia
If Guehi continues to perform at such a level for England this summer, he’s only likely to attract more interest from top clubs.
The Englishman is already on Tottenham’s radar while Manchester United could also move for Guehi should they fail to land Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite.
Southgate was impressed by Guehi’s display on Sunday evening but certainly wasn’t surprised.
“I saw the player I have seen every week for his club,” Southgate said. “It was going to be a particular test in terms of his stature, as he isn’t the biggest centre-back, but he dealt with the aerial threat really well.”
Whether or not Arsenal need another centre-back of Guehi’s quality is up for debate, particularly as Palace are reportedly set to demand at least £60 million for the defender.
William Saliba and Gabriel have formed a formidable partnership and any central defender coming in would likely have to accept a back-up role under Arteta.