Arsenal have joined Newcastle United and Manchester City in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt defender Nnamdi Collins during the summer transfer window.
The Gunners bolstered their defensive department with the signings of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie from Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen last summer. Hincapie was signed on loan on deadline day with a buy clause. The London giants have already made the decision to purchase the Ecuadorian star at the end of the season.
This has not stopped the speculation linking the club with new defenders and Sport BILD claim that the Gunners are ‘watching’ Collins along with Newcastle and Man City. Frankfurt are in a precarious financial situation and may seek to recoup £86 million from a couple of big-money departures during the next transfer window.
The Bundesliga outfit are 13 points adrift of the final Champions League spot in the German top-flight. With the expected loss of revenue, Collins could be one of those sold. The 22-year-old could be signed by interested clubs for a package between £26 million and £35 million this summer.
Possible deal
Arsenal have one of the best defences in the Premier League. They have sufficient depth in every position, but things could change at the end of the season. Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly are weighing up their futures amid the lack of regular first-team football.
The Gunners have the left-back position sorted with Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori, but manager Mikel Arteta may want another option to compete with Jurrien Timber at right-back if White leaves, given Cristhian Mosquera is generally viewed as a central defender.
Collins, who can comfortably play as a central defender or as a right-back, could emerge as a potential replacement for White. The Gunners may seek to recoup some of their investment in the Englishman as he enters the final 2 years of his contract.
Collins would be a good successor with his strong defensive attributes. The German has won 60% of his duels in the Bundesliga this campaign and has also averaged 2 tackles and 2 clearances per outing. He has completed 88% of his passes in the division.
He has 3 goal involvements for the season and should only improve with age and experience on his side. At £26 million, he would represent a value-for-money signing. Arsenal could easily secure a similar sum from White’s exit during the summer transfer window.
