Arsenal are one of the clubs who are monitoring Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi but there’s nothing concrete yet, as per Fabrizio Romano.
The Sun reported last week that the Gunners have expressed an interest in signing the 22-year-old defender, and now Romano adds that the Gunners (and other top clubs) are “following him”.
In the last month, Arsenal have seen their title dreams shattered after failing to win four games in a row. The defence is one area where Mikel Arteta should look to bolster, with the Gunners conceding 38 goals this season, compared to 27 by Newcastle.
The injury to William Saliba has cost Arsenal badly, and the Gunners need another quality centre-back in the summer. Guehi is an exciting prospect but it would take a lot of money to lure him to the Emirates Stadium.
Football Transfers reported last month that Palace are demanding a fee of around £60 million for their star player. The Eagles are certain to stay in the Premier League, and in that case, any potential club will have to pay a premium fee to land him.
Romano wrote for Caughtoffside:
“There’s nothing advanced with Arsenal and Marc Guehi, but they are monitoring him, it’s just normal scouting. No decision has been made and there’s nothing concrete at this stage on Guehi but many top clubs are following him.”
Budget
Guehi has made 36 appearances in all competitions for the Eagles this season. He averages 1.5 tackles, 3.7 clearances, and manages 85% passing accuracy per game – and the numbers only suggest he has a great future ahead.
He can be a smart signing for the Gunners but his price-tag could be a major stumbling block. Moreover, Arsenal could heavily invest in signing a striker, a quality central midfielder and a full-back in the summer, so they may not have the budget to also splash big money on Guehi.
Football Insider recently claimed Tottenham are also showing a keen interest in signing Guehi as they badly need to bolster their defence, so Arsenal would face stiff competition if they chose to formalise their interest.
