Arsenal is in the market for a new defender and they might just get that soon enough. It looks like Mikel Arteta will be getting a new defender soon as he is said to be eying defender Jerome Boateng. Arsenal’s move for the defender is said to have gathered momentum after the Gunners made “formal contact” with Bayern Munich.
Reports in Germany suggest, the Bundesliga champions want around £15m for the defender who they are open to selling following a downturn in form.
Mikel Arteta is keen to strengthen his defensive options in January having seen the north Londoners concede far too many goals. The Spaniard saw the Gunners keep a clean sheet for the first time during their 2-0 win over Manchester United on New Year’s Day.
But their problems are far from solved hence their interest in Boateng, who could be available on a free transfer if they pick up his highly expensive fee of weekly wages which are close to £200,000 a week.
Arsenal’s defensive options have been weakened further as Calum Chambers faces nine months on the sidelines having picked up an ACL injury.
It leaves Arteta with David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos as his two main alternatives in the centre of defence, but the pair have not been able to regularly keep Bernd Leno protected.
The Gunners have conceded 30 goals in 21 Premier League games thus far which has undermined their pre-season ambitions to finish in the top four.
