Borussia Dortmund have granted Edu the opportunity to bolster Arsenal's backline ahead of the upcoming transfer window. But, with William Saliba set to return to the Emirates stadium this summer after a successful loan spell at Marseille, Mikel Arteta has a dilemma on his hands — albeit a good one at that.
The Gunners have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Dortmund centre-half Manuel Akanji, who has been told he can leave the club following the sacking of head coach Marco Rose and the recent signings of Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck. The Sun claim that the Switzerland international's representatives are eyeing a move to the Premier League, with the north London outfit emerging as a potential destination.
Akanji, who has shared the international stage with Granit Xhaka on 33 occasions, featured 36 times for the German side this season and steered the club towards a Bundesliga silver medal. His impressive displays have reportedly attracted the interest of Manchester United also, handing Arsenal stern competition.
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The report claims that Dortmund have put a £21million asking price on the defender, though it's believed that the aforementioned fee could quickly drop in the coming weeks with his contract at the Signal Iduna Park set to expire in twelve months. However, despite opportunity at hand to leapfrog United in the transfer race, The Sun add that Arsenal could be reluctant to strike a deal; Arteta is said to be in the market for a left-footed centre-half who can deputise Gabriel Magalhaes in his absence.
As it stands, the Gunners already have Ben White, Rob Holding and the returning Saliba as right-footed centre-backs. The latter, whose return is highly anticipated among Gooners, has already claimed that he 'belongs' at Arsenal and is eager to earn his stripes at the club.
The 21-year-old said: "I belong to Arsenal, I still have two years left. I will be back with Arsenal. I have played zero matches and I still want to show them my true face and have the chance to play for these fans and this great club. But it doesn’t just depend on me. In any case, to leave like this, would be a shame."
