Arsenal will be keen to further bolster this squad this summer, regardless of the outcome of the Premier League title race, and reports have suggested that Mikel Arteta’s side have sent scouts to watch an up-and-coming Serie A defender.
The Gunners sit top of the league with ten matches left to play, with their defensive resilience the driving factor behind their success up until this point.
While the North London outfit have shipped goals via poor individual errors recently, they remain an imperious defensive outfit – arguably the best in the world.
Despite this, Arteta is always on the lookout for reinforcements at the back end of the pitch. Reports have emerged on Thursday morning indicating that Arsenal, among others, have identified a left-back as one of their primary targets ahead of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal to battle Chelsea and Manchester City for Serie A star
Arsenal are expected to sign Piero Hincapie permanently this summer, with Andrea Berta likely to activate the £45 million purchase option that was included in the initial deal for the Ecuadorian.
Arteta will therefore likely have Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly on his books heading into this next season. Despite having a stacked left-back cohort, this hasn’t prevented the Gunners from entertaining the idea of adding another player to this department.
According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal have sent scouts to watch Atalanta full-back Honest Ahanor live in recent months, with a view to making a move for him in the summer. The North Londoners aren’t the only Premier League club that are monitoring the 18-year-old’s development – Chelsea and Manchester City have also had representatives in Bergamo observing his performances this term.
| Honest Ahanor Serie A Statistics 2025/26 | |
| Appearances | 16 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Pass Accuracy | 89.5% |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.05 |
| Shots per 90 | 0.89 |
| Duels Won per 90 | 6.83 |
| Tackles per 90 | 2.4 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 1.24 |
All three English sides are weighing up a potential offer for Ahanor, with the mooted fee in the region of €35 million (£31 million). While Atalanta view the player as ‘untouchable’, a serious offer could no doubt seduce them into cashing in early.
The Nigerian defender developed through Genoa’s academy before joining La Dea for a reported €16 million last summer. Enjoying an impressive debut season at Stadio di Bergamo, he’s made waves in Italy across his 25 appearances in all competitions.
Athletic, agile and an exceptional offensive outlet, Ahanor fits the more traditional marauding full-back profile that Arsenal have generally swayed away from in recent times. That said, Arteta may be eager to add a left-back to his ranks who brings these attacking qualities, so that his team has every string to its bow.
Arsenal could get a taste of what Ahanor can do first-hand in March, with Friday’s Champions League draw set to pit the Gunners against either Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.
Myles Lewis-Skelly would be in trouble if Arsenal signed Honest Ahanor
While Ahanor would certainly be an exciting acquisition for Arsenal, his arrival in N5 would have repercussions for Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The Hale End graduate has already fallen in the pecking order at left-back this season, dropping behind Calafiori and Hincapie. While the Italian and Ecuadorian being ahead of him in the pecking order makes sense, given their relative experience levels, Ahanor coming in would essentially be a declaration from Arteta that he doesn’t view Lewis-Skelly as a serious left-back option moving forward.
| Lewis-Skelly’s Statistics 2024/25 (Premier League Only) | |
| Appearances | 23 |
| Pass Accuracy | 90.3% |
| Progressive Passes per 90 | 4.85 |
| Passes into the Final Third per 90 | 4.77 |
| Fouls Won per 90 | 3.08 |
| Dribbled past per 90 | 0.0 |
If Arsenal sign the Bergamo teenager, they’ll certainly look to play him somewhat regularly in the first team, so that he continues his development. This will leave Lewis-Skelly completely surplus to requirements in this position.
Thus, Lewis-Skelly ought to be pushing for minutes in midfield, where Arsenal’s long-term future is a lot less certain.
