With captain Laurent Koscielny’s refusal to join Arsenal on their pre-season tour of the US becoming one of the club’s biggest stories of the summer so far, it seems like the perfect time for Unai Emery to invest in a top quality centre-half.
Even if the 33-year-old Frenchman didn’t want to leave the Emirates Stadium, it’s no secret that Arsenal’s defence needs improving and bringing in a top calibre centre-back would act as a big statement.
According to the Daily Mail, the Gunners have reignited their interest in Benfica star Ruben Dias; the 22-year-old would certainly act as that top-calibre capture the club needs.
He has a £54million release clause in his contract that expires in 2023, a fee that would most likely wipe out the whole of Arsenal’s summer budget but a fee that would be used to strengthen a priority position.
Nacho Monreal is ageing, Rob Holding and Kostas Mavropanos are still inexperienced and Shkodran Mustafi is wanted out by a large number of fans so a new central defender to partner Sokratis should be seen as crucial if Emery is to push on at the club.
Whether Arsenal will cash-in on Dias – who has made over 100 Benfica appearances and gained 11 caps for Portugal – remains to be seen but at the moment it should probably be seen as hope rather than reality.
