According to The Daily Mail, Arsenal have opened talks with Atletico Madrid over a move for defender Jose Gimenez as an alternative to Valencia ace Shkodran Mustafi.
Arsene Wenger is desperate to sign a defender in the next few days after beginning Sunday’s 4-3 defeat to Liverpool with Calum Chambers and Rob Holding in the heart of the Gunners’ defence.
Gimenez, 21 is has already played in one World Cup with Uruguay, two Copa Americas, three Champions League campaigns and picked up a league winner’s medal.
Athletico Madrid signed him for €900,000 from Uruguayan Primera División club Danubio F.C. He is a fast and physical Uruguayan centre half who played 37 matches under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid last season.
At 21, he’s perhaps the best young defender in La Liga and Athletico Madrid would make a fortune if they decide to sell him.
His £56million buy-out clause is over the top but both his agent and the club perhaps know that and Arsenal would no doubt get him for closer to £40m.
However, according to MARCA, the Gunners will have to activate the Uruguayan’s release clause if they want to pry him away from the Spanish outfit. This stands at £56.07 million, after being increased when the 21-year-old signed a new two-year contract extension in January of this year.
He is a very young player, not inexperienced but young and possesses every aspect you expect in a defender. He can also play at right-back so that solves Arsenal’s right back problem. All-in-all he ticks every box but can the Gunners really afford him ?
Arsenal, however, also remain locked in discussions with Valencia over German Shkodran Mustafi as they attempt to secure a new defender as soon as possible.
Valencia want £30m for Mustafi but Arsenal believe that the fee is excessive. Jonny Evans of West Brom remains on Arsenal’s radar should the deals with the two Spanish clubs fail to materialise.
Total nonsense and hard to believe, I would say. Wenger is not even ready to pay for Mustafi, why would he pay double that for a defender. Anyways, let’s see where this transfer window takes us.
