Arsenal
Arsenal to solve defensive woes after opening talks to sign £30m star
Arsenal are in talks with Presnel Kimpemb as Unai Emery looks to shore up his dodgy back four by signing the £30m rated centre-back
Unai Emery is expected to be a busy man this summer as he needs to revamp an ageing squad and overhauling his defence should be a particular priority as Arsenal conceded 70 goals in all competitions last season.
A leaky defence cost the Gunners as they finished fifth in the Premier League and the vast majority of bookmakers in the UK have Arsenal priced as the sixth favourites to finish in the top four next season so there is lots of work to do at the Emirates.
Arsenal have been linked with a number of centre-backs in recent weeks as they are trying to sell Shkodran Mustafi while Laurent Koscielny’s future is up in the air as he’s got just 12 months left on his contract and isn’t likely to sign an extension.
So Emery needs to sign at least one new commanding centre-back and he may have found his man as French news-site SoccerLink is reporting that Arsenal have opened talks with Presnel Kimpembe’s father – who also acts as his agent – to discuss a move this summer.
The defender is a product of the Paris Saint-Germain youth system and he’s considered to be one of the best young centre-back’s in French football so he’d be an excellent addition to the Arsenal squad.
The 23-year-old was in and out of the PSG starting eleven last season with Brazilian duo Marquinhos and Thiago Silva usually preferred pairing in the middle of Thomas Tuchel’s back four.
And the Ligue 1 champions are reportedly leading the chase to sign Matthijs De Ligt from Ajax this summer so Kimpembe could find himself even further down the pecking order next year.
The report says PSG are willing to cash-in if Arsenal pay £30m and Kimpembe is believed to be open to the idea of moving to north London in order to link-up with Emery – who he played under during his time in Paris.
However, Arsenal aren’t the only club listed as possible suitors as Chelsea and Manchester United are also understood to be keen on luring Kimpembe to the Premier League if he leaves PSG.
Both clubs would be able to trump Arsenal in terms of finances so the Gunners will need to act fast and hope Emery is able to persuade the Frenchman to join him at the Emirates before the likes of Chelsea and United step-up their interest.
Arsenal fans will no doubt be praying the club can bring in a few key signings as it will be difficult for them to get back into the Champions League with their current squad and Kimpembe could be the man to help shore up their dodgy defence.
