Jeremie Frimpong and Rayan Ait-Nouri are among the Arsenal full-back targets.
Mikel Arteta wants ‘four top-class inverted full-backs’ in his Arsenal squad come the end of the summer transfer window, while Liverpool keep tabs on a Chelsea star and Armando Broja is the next pure profit departure from Stamford Bridge.
WHAT’S THE STORY WITH AIT-NOURI?Arsenal and Liverpool are both on the lookout for a left-back in January, but will need to spend quite the sum to land Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves.
FootballTransfers claim Arsenal are ‘actively seeking to bolster their left-back position’ and have already seen one offer for the Algeria international rebuffed, while ‘discussions between Wolves and Liverpool have already taken place’.
The report suggests a summer transfer is more likely for Ait-Nouri, but he could be allowed to leave Wolves in the winter window ‘if a bid exceeding £50m is presented’.
That’s clearly more than the Gunners have already offered – understandable given he’s valued at roughly half that asking price by Transfermarkt – and a January move will be difficult in any case given the 22-year-old’s involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The repott further claims that Mikel Arteta wants to ‘overhaul the full-back positions across the next two transfer windows’, with right-back Jeremie Frimpong another top target, as he wants to have ‘four top-class inverted fullbacks in the squad’.
LEVI-T OUTAlong with a new left-back, Liverpool are also in the market for new centre-backs, with Jurgen Klopp keen on bringing two to the club in the summer window.
He would ideally like one of those to be Levi Colwill, whom they were sniffing around in the summer before he put pen to paper on a new six-year contract with the option for a further year at Chelsea.
90min claim Liverpool remain ‘huge admirers of Colwill and will continue to watch him closely in case a potential exit route from Chelsea materialises’.
That looks unlikely despite Chelsea’s apparent desperation to rid themselves of their academy graduates, with the report claiming the Blues ‘won’t even put a valuation on Colwill if a suitor comes calling and he is not a player the club consider for sale, regardless of whether outgoings are deemed financially necessary in 2024′.
The Reds are also keeping a close eye on Germany international Jonathan Tah in recent months, but like Chelsea, Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen are not looking to sell.
Less experienced options include Telleres’ Kevin Mantilla and Facundo Gonzalez, who is currently on loan at Sampdoria from Juventus.
PURE PROFIT BROJATalking of Chelsea’s love of pure profit made through academy sales, they will undoubtedly be welcoming interest in Armando Broja.
The Albania international will likely find himself moving further down the pecking order, either in January or the summer, when Chelsea inevitably spend big on a new striker.
Napoli’s Victor Osimhen feels as though he’s the most likely candidate to arrive at Stamford Bridge, though Brighton teen Evan Ferguson (who shouldn’t even think about it) is also a long-term target, and they’ve also been weirdly linked with Aston Villa substitute Jhon Duran, more as a short-term option.
It’s Wolves who are ‘considering a move for Broja’, according to The Guardian, who claim interest is ‘at an exploratory stage’ and state that Gary O’Neil’s side are unlikely to be able to pursue a permanent deal for the 22-year-old, with a loan and option to buy the most likely recourse.
Several other clubs are said to be monitoring his situation, with Broja currently very much in the shop window given he’s starting games due to Nicolas Jackson’s involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations.
