One of Arsenal’s reported transfer targets has earned rave reviews for his performances at Euro 2024.
The Gunners narrowly finished second in the Premier League last season but will aim to go one step further in the forthcoming campaign as they seek to end Manchester City‘s dominance.
A host of players have been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer, but one player whose name has dominated the back pages is Marc Guehi.
The Crystal Palace man has built on his tremendous season in the Premier League by slotting in seamlessly into England’s backline at Euro 2024 as the Three Lions finished their group stage campaign unbeaten.
Michael Beale waxes lyrical about Marc Guehi
And former Sunderland boss Michael Beale, who was an instrumental figure at the Chelsea academy when Guehi burst onto the scene as an exciting youngster, has lavished praise on the 23-year-old for his development in recent years.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Beale said: “The key thing is his calmness, reading of the game and his athleticism. That gets him a yard on his centre forward. He’s shown huge amounts of confidence to play on the left side and his technical upbringing from Chelsea means he can use his left foot.”
“He’s not the biggest centre-back on the eye, but he’s got a huge leap and the athleticism to cover around. He’s not someone who does a lot of social media posts, but quietly, people are recognising that we’ve got an absolute gem.
“He’s only 23 years old. It’s a great age for him to jump onto the England scene. A lot of the former England international defenders who have watched him are really seeing parts of him that are impressing them.
“He’s always been in their attention but now he’s fully in their attention because he hasn’t changed with the limelight of becoming a football player – he has just improved year in and year out.”
Arsenal told to pay £50m to sign Guehi this summer
Arsenal‘s interest in Guehi is well documented, but with the 23-year-old currently fully focused on Euro 2024 with England, he’s unlikely to pay much heed to talks surrounding his future.
Crystal Palace reportedly want £50m for the 23-year-old, whose contract expires in the summer of 2026.
While that seems like a fair price for a player impressing for club and country at such a young age, Arsenal already boast a rock-solid central defensive partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Ben White and Jakub Kiwior can fill in at the heart of the backline if needed, while Jurrien Timber – who missed almost the entirety of last season due to an ACL injury – is also capable of playing anywhere across the back four.
Looking at their defensive options, Arsenal seem adequately stacked, particularly in terms of centre-backs.
Guehi would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to the Gunners’ squad, but with other positions to address this summer, it remains to be seen if they press ahead with their interest and meet Palace’s high asking price.