Arsenal have been struggling to bring in new players in recent weeks, with a number of defensive and attacking knock-backs, and they now look to be missing out on Jose Fonte’s signature, who looks set to join Manchester United.
The 32 year-old enjoyed an impressive summer, winning the European Championships with Portugal, playing the full 90 minutes of both the semi-final and final, having also impressed with Southampton over the past six-and-a-half seasons.
Fonte is now claimed to be keen on making a move away from the Saints, after his international exploits raised his stocks somewhat, and Arsenal and Manchester United had both been linked with a deal.
The Gunners have been in desperate need of a new centre-back in recent weeks, following the disastrous loss of Per Mertesacker for the next five months, before the problem worsened by the six-week injury of Gabriel Paulista a week before the season was due to kick off.
Laurent Koscielny was also unable to return to action for the opening Premier League weekend, and Calum Chambers and Rob Holding were fielded at centre-back, and failed to stop rivals Liverpool from putting four goals past them, highlighting the lack of numbers at the back.
Shkodran Mustafi had been expected to join shortly after the loss to Liverpool, but the deal seemingly hit the rocks, and the club have so far failed to bring in any defenders since.
The Red Devils now appear set to win the race to sign Southampton’s Fonte, with the club apparently ‘convinced‘ he is moving to Old Trafford this summer.
The Portuguese centre-back could have brought some much needed experience to our squad this season, with trio Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky all having departed already, and with a relatively young squad for the current campaign.
Will we pay the price for having missed out on Fonte?