Arsenal has been dealt a major blow in their bid to strengthen the defence this month.
The Gunners are looking to fix their leaky defence with a new signing before the transfer window shuts but they have been rebuffed in their attempt to get their primary defensive target.
Sky Sports Germany as cited by Star Sports claims that RB Leipzig has rejected Arsenal’s bid for Dayot Upamecano and the Germans are adamant that he is not for sale.
Arsenal has constantly been linked with a move for the 21-year-old and reportedly had a £40 million bid rejected by the Bundesliga outfit last summer.
The defence has continued to be Arsenal’s biggest problem this season. They managed to defend well and kept a clean sheet against Manchester United in their last league game, but Mikel Arteta knows he has to strengthen his squad in the market.
He recently said: “We’ll try to look in the transfer market for options to strengthen the team.
“That is our obligation and we are going to be working on that but the reality is that we’re not going to be able to do much.”
It was always going to be a long shot signing Upamecano this winter. RB Leipzig was never going to sanction a sale of one of their best players in the middle of the season, a season that still has them in the Champions League.
If this deal is ever going to happen I suspect it will be in the summer.
Good, because we already have six CBs in our arsenal and I don’t think any of our scouts follow Upamecano for at least two seasons
Having seven CBs is okay if Arteta plans to play with a three-CB formation, but I believe his final goal would be 4-3-3
Rather than buying another CB, Arsenal had better get a towering target man for plan B. They will face a deadlock when the opposition park their bus, so we will need a striker who is dominant in the air like Bas Dost
We have 6 defenders yes but we have 0 good ones. Sokratis Mustafi and Chambers would all be sold if we receive good enough bids. That leaves Holding who hasn’t exactly shone in the few games he’s played. Luiz who will see out his final year and Saliba who is 19 and new to the league. Ideally we need two exceptional cbs and ideally one already from the premier league who can slot straight in. Ake and Upamacano would be amazing business in January. Ake can fill in at left back and cdm.
@LIAM
Thank you
The 6 CBs suck though
We need good quality, reliable and PL experienced CB as a priority
Overrated 6 defenders.
I agree with a dominant striker.
Not him, too injury prone n to be honest not an upgrade on what we have. Arsenal should buy a defender from primer league or stick with polishing holding, Marva n Seliba. If we have to go for some one out side I prefer we target Varane. Our youngsters can learn so much from him n he is captain material.
You are correct mate!
Question to every fellow gunners here:
Would we be in such position with additions of Maguire, Partey and Zaha?
That’s precisely what Emery asked last summer!
Kroenke refused as teams asked full payement!! He got us Luiz but
for Kos and got Ceballos to chase out Ozil off his books. Had us all hyped up with Pepe payement plan trick!
We are heavily linked to this kid, now Boateng for a loan with automatic 15M option! That’s sound more like it; Kroenke!
What should be buzzing high is Arsenal linked to Koulibaly with a swap deal Torreira and Kolas wanted as by Napoli, rated priorities by Gatuzo, no wonder:)
Both official current values of 45M & 20M = 65M, Koulibaly is 75M, higher with several team betting but that’s transfermarket values of these players today.
Arteta & board must close this deal like yesterday already, call it a damn day! Add 20M, sounds more Kroenke!
Then we should be linked to Cancelo and Kurwaza, for each back flank, both available on loan from City and Paris, that’s should be easy for Arteta!
We can look that way in January:
Leno
Cancelo – Koulibaly – Holding – Kurzawa
Niles Xhaka
Ozil
Pepe. Laca. Auba
Keeper- Gendouzi- Willock – Nelson – Mav- Mustafi – Luiz – Martinelli- Saka.
It I useless to go after an average CB, we have plenty, but a top CB Koulibaly is and call it a day as Liverpool. The all team looks strong, secured, confident partly cuz of Vutgil Vanjike! So would we!
Don’t know why Arsenal just don’t go for Dunk. He’s probably a better player, and has proven himself in the EPL. Would cost half the price, or less. He’s key to Brighton’s survival, but I think we could get him this month.
Dunk is British, so he will cost same or higher, we know how the British players are overpriced
This Upamecano is not that good o…I watch the bundesliga…He is slow and doesn’t always read the game well… Against very attacking side they concede freely…
For the Epl he is quite slow…
Mings!! Can’t see it happening, but that’s who I’d like.
They are top of the Bundesliga so there is no way in hell hes going to leave them in January
Exactly, still in CL as well. He won’t make any impact in current team, needs to adapt and not a top CB, Koulibaly is and for sale.
Shows Kroenke lack of ambition beside make profit. Nor board and Arteta have any sense while Napoli presicly wants two of our players baddly, a swap with both adding 20M closes this deal.
If you think about it, a new CB is not the real priority of this team. I would rather have a proper left winger like Thomas lemar, push Auba to his favorite central position with Laca as backup) and get this team going. I am not sure a guy like Boateng is the best solution right now
Our beloved Arsenal FC in the hands of Kroenke for a decade, gradually to his full control! He tricked Wenger for a decade with no money using Emirates.
5 years with a paid for stadium when agreed to put money when done with stadium’s payement!
Emery thought he would get players needed, picked 3 as Arsene, in order to compete, didn’t get any!
He got the pressure Arsene was under for a decade, no squad to compete for titles, all on him, fans getting mad, empty stadium; sacked!
Now Arteta! Linked with a player irrelevant for us today, when we need a top CB for years but simply can’t have; Kroenke keeps all the money!
It is clear for the all world that we play with two young players as R&L backs beside out of position! No RB option at all all season, Kolas as only LB when on his feet, Tierny arrived injured, til March first training! Not like we not aware of it, been weeks!
We were looking at Koulibaly but Napoli wants all cash upfront, we had good chance to get him, we on this Upfmecano kid, with a 40M bid rejected, now on Boateng 15M!
This is how Kroenke does it! Killing this club, keeping all profits, then will sell it. No care nor ambition but cash!
Sours, Man U, Chelsea are all on Koulibaly, we add the edge and dropped out race, Napoli owner wants cash upfront! No Pepe damn payement plan! Ambition!
Arteta asked to get him. He feeling pressure now, has to do it as Wenger, without Kroenke money, it is not for club, it is all his now!
Amazing that no one gets what Kroenke does, but he is indeed a vicious greedy full of tricks, with one focus and question :
How do I get these suckers fans to fill that stadium while keeping all profits?
Pepe payement plan trick! Whoa stadium is empty! Let’s bring Eddie they would love and buzz about! Oups! Now what? What about their old captain! Let’s buzz this and see. Whoa, that was fast, they all want him! Look at then after 3 games! We got him, Stadium be packed til end of season!
That is how Kroenke does this club and fans; suckers!
Not at all; when we not in stadium; he is the sucker! We can win games, finish 4 or 2nd with top manager as Wenger with no team to compete but not win Titles which Krenke doesn’t care, he made over a Billion without titles!
Upamecano a top defender??? You guys should actually watch bundesliga before referring to this guy as ‘Top defender’. Take youtube videos away and he is average at best. Nothing special, heck even Sven at Bayer at 30 is still better than this guy. Rather go all in for Koulibaly with that cash or a better option would be a epl proven defender.