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Arsenal now want to sign £68m defender who Nathan Ake once compared to Virgil van Dijk
Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt, a player Nathan Ake once compared to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
The Gunners have several names on their transfer shortlist, but not every one of them is attainable in the January transfer window. De Ligt has been linked this week, but he is more likely to be considered at the end of this season.
Nathan Ake once compared Arsenal target Matthijs De Ligt to Virgil van Dijk
Arsenal are very short at the back, as much after using Declan Rice as a centre-half in the Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven earlier this month.
The Gunners are expected to be active in the January transfer window, and if a good opportunity arises, they could make a move to bring in a new player or two.
revealed this week that Matthijs de Ligt is a long-term target for Arsenal.
add today that a move in January is not a possibility, but Arteta and co want to monitor the £68 million Dutchman’s situation until the summer and then consider if they want to bid for him.
De Ligt is very highly rated, so much so that Manchester City star Nathan Ake once compared him to Virgil van Dijk, who Jurgen Klopp feels is the best defender in the world.
Ake told in November 2019: “De Ligt is still so young but he has played so many games in top-flight football and for the Dutch national team It’s amazing what he is doing at the moment.
“When you go to a new country and a new club, especially a big club like Juventus, and you’re 19-20 years old, it’s going to be a change. He scored [against Torino], which is really good for him, but everyone has full confidence in him.
“As you can see, he’s a great player. He’s quick, strong for his age, very good in the air and on the ball he is very good. He scores so many from set-pieces so he’s got a lot of the same attributes as Van Dijk.”
Arsenal don’t really need De Ligt
Matthijs De Ligt is a very good defender, there is no debate there, but Arsenal don’t really need him, do they?
The Gunners already have Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, and both of them are undisputed starters. They’ve been incredible for Mikel Arteta since the beginning of last season, and there’s just no need to change anything there.
If Arsenal are to sign De Ligt, he will cost a lot of money and would want to be a regular starter. That’s just not going to happen unless Saliba or Gabriel decide to leave.
Arsenal should look at signing someone younger – we recommend Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande, who has been linked with a move to the Emirates in 2024.