---
title: "Arsenal should wipe their summer budget for Ruben Dias"
canonical: "https://readarsenal.com/2019/07/13/arsenal-should-wipe-their-summer-budget-for-ruben-dias/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Alex Turk"
section: "Articles"
published: "2019-07-13T10:52:16Z"
modified: "2019-07-13T10:52:18Z"
---

# Arsenal should wipe their summer budget for Ruben Dias

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](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7242581/Arsenal-revive-Benficas-Ruben-Dias-wake-Koscielny-snub.html), 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.