Arsenal are reportedly considering making a January swoop to sign AC Milan defender Davide Bartesaghi, as per Caught Offside.
The Gunners decided to reinforce the left side of the defence by signing Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié in the last two summer windows. The Ecuadorian has joined on an initial loan deal from Bayer Leverkusen, with an obligation to make the move permanent next year.
Both are versatile left-footed centre-backs and are also comfortable in the LB position. Moreover, Myles Lewis-Skelly is an option to provide cover at left-back.
However, Arsenal have suffered numerous injury problems at the back with Gabriel Magalhaes, Cristhian Mosquera, and Ben White ruled out for several weeks due to their respective issues.
As a result, Arteta has been left without proper depth in defence at the moment, with Arsenal looking to challenge on all fronts this season. So, Caught Offside state that they are considering making a January swoop to sign Bartesaghi, having been impressed by his recent eye-catching performances at San Siro Stadium.
However, purchasing the 19-year-old won’t be straightforward for the North London club as Manchester City and Real Madrid are also interested in him.
With the youngster still having a contract until 2030, Milan aren’t in any rush to sell him and have slapped a £39m price tag on his head. However, they don’t want to weaken their squad in mid-season.
Bartesaghi to Arsenal
Therefore, Arsenal have lined up an alternative option if they eventually fail to sign Bartesaghi and have identified Nathaniel Brown of Eintracht Frankfurt as a potential target.
Like Hincapié and Calafiori, Bartesaghi, standing at 6ft 4in tall, is a versatile left-footed defender; he is comfortable in the left-back and centre-back positions.
In 13 appearances across all competitions, the defender has made three goal contributions and has kept five clean sheets thus far this campaign, helping his side mount a title charge.
Bartesaghi is a talented player and could be a great coup for Arsenal with a view to the long-term future, should they purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the Emirates club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his service in January or next summer.
