Arsenal in battle with Everton to sign La Liga star, deal can be done at £31m

Managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads during the summer transfer window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Today, Arsenal and Everton are linked with Djené Dakonam…

Arsenal are facing a battle with Premier League rivals Everton to sign £31m-rated Getafe centre-back Djene Dakonam this summer , according to Marca.

Dakonam joined Getafe from Sint-Truidense in 2017 and has been a key player for the Spanish side with his excellent performances at the back helping the club secure a fifth-placed finish in the La Liga table last season, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification.

Getafe conceded just 35 goals in their 38 games, which was the joint second best defensive record in the division and less than champions Barcelona let in, and Dakonam was vital to their superb defensive unit.

The Togo international’s impressive form alerted Arsenal with the Daily Mail one of several outlets to report in recent weeks that the Gunners have expressed an interest in signing Dakonam.

Unai Emery is expected to be busy this summer overhauling his squad after finishing fifth in the Premier League last season and sorting their leaky defence is a priority after conceding a whopping 51 goals last campaign.

Shkodran Mustafi is being linked with a move away from the Emirates while Laurent Koscielny – who turns 34 soon – is also being tipped to leave so the Arsenal boss could be eyeing Dakonam as a long-term replacement.

However, it appears the Gunners will now face competition for his signature as Marca claim Everton have joined Premier League rivals Arsenal in the race to sign the 27-year-old this summer.

The Toffees are in the market for a new centre-back after Phil Jagielka left the club while Kurt Zouma has returned to Chelsea following a loan spell and it seems Marco Silva has lined-up Dakonam as a possible new addition.

READ MORE–> Arsenal transfer news

We’ll have to wait and see how this transfer battle develops but the Spanish outlet says Getafe will refuse to sell for anything less than £31m [€35m] so Arsenal and Everton will have to be prepared to spend big if they want to land Dakonam this summer.