Arsenal are on the hunt for a centre-back after Jurrien Timber suffered a knee injury and Rudy Galetti says they’re interested in Victor Nelsson and Perr Schuurs on deadline day.
The Gunners sold Rob Holding to Crystal Palace on deadline day, leaving Mikel Arteta with only William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Jakub Kiwior, so Arsenal are lacking depth in a key area with the transfer window closing.
Galetti told Give Me Sport that the Gunners have identified potential replacements, though it doesn’t appear any official interest has been lodged. He said: “They are focused on a possible replacement for Jurrien Timber. Victor Nelsson, from Galatasaray, is one of the players on the list. But a possible replacement for Timber is also Perr Schuurs.”
Nelsson had been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur without a deal materialising. The 24-year-old joined Galatasaray from FC Copenhagen in 2021 and has gone on to make 87 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals with one assist. Nelsson has represented Denmark on 10 occasions and has an asking price of £21m, so he wouldn’t break the bank.
Gala might not be keen to sell with little time to replace him, however. The same could be true for Perr Schuurs’ club Torino. The 23-year-old has made 36 appearances across the board since joining from Ajax in 2022 but would cost significantly more than Nelsson. Torino are requesting around £34m, so Arsenal would need to pay £13m more to land his signature.
While unfortunate to lose Timber to a serious knee injury just weeks after he joined the club, Arsenal have had enough time to replace him. The decision to sell Holding might prove very risky if they can’t get a deal over the line for another centre-back. Nelsson and Schurrs are both regulars for their respective clubs, so Arsenal might be barking up the wrong tree.
A loan move for a defender could have solved the problem, as they will struggle getting a permanent deal done with only hours of the window remaining.
