Arsenal centre back William Saliba suffered an injury in France’s third-place clash against England at the World Cup, which is set to rule him out for several months after he decided against undergoing surgery.
Even though Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie are available to partner with Gabriel Magalhaes, the former Valencia star is prone to errors and fouls, whereas the Ecuadorian could be preferred at left back next season rather than central defence.
With Mikel Arteta set to be without a key option for potentially the entire first half of the campaign, it is likely that the Gunners will explore the transfer market for prospective signings to alleviate some pressure off their existing squad.
Mark Brus has reported on Caught Offside that Arsenal have been offered the opportunity to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Zeno Debast after intermediaries got in touch with them regarding the Belgian star, who is available for £34 million this summer.
Debast a quality signing for Arsenal
Zeno Debast would be an excellent signing for Arsenal. His £34 million price tag makes the Sporting Lisbon centre back worth the investment after he has proven his credentials with the Liga NOS side domestically as well as in the Champions League.
Standing at 6 feet and 3 inches, he is superb aerially and reads danger in the box very intelligently, while making good tackles and interceptions. His awareness to control the defensive structure or set offside traps and ensure attackers are marked is also key.
With the ball at his feet, Debast is very comfortable distributing passes to his teammates even under pressure, in addition being able to effectively carry possession higher up the pitch and slot into deeper-lying midfield positions to maintain possession.
At 22, he still has lots to improve on but initial signs demonstrate that Debast is ready to make the leap to the Premier League. Whether Arsenal consider the offer of signing him this summer or skip the proposition remains to be seen.
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