Arsenal “real contenders” to sign £35m sensation

Arsenal are the strongest team in the Premier League, but Mikel Arteta will be aware of his side’s rivals’ moves in the January transfer window.

For example, Manchester City have signed Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyu, and they are chasing Crystal Palace captain Mark Guehi to revamp their defence.

Having confirmed that he and manager Andrea Berta will pursue opportunities before the January window closes in a fortnight, Arteta’s words perhaps give credence to a number of rumors currently surfacing.

Fans have expressed concerns about Arsenal’s goal-scoring options, but Arsenal have struggled with injuries to key defensive players this season, and a new transfer target has been identified.

Arsenal is preparing a defensive deal

Manchester City may have Guehi in their sights, but they are not the only team interested in the English star, with Arsenal eyeing his signature at the end of the season.

Guehi, 25, has been urged to wait out his contract at Selhurst Park at the end of the season, according to Caught Offside, but City are relentless, and they are looking to sign him this month.

For this season, it may be important to be practical, but Berta may have already found greater talent to strengthen Arteta’s backline.

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are “real contenders” in the race for Rennes centre-back Jérémy Jacquet, who has attracted a lot of interest after an impressive start to his career in France, with Chelsea also registering particular interest.

Jacquet is only 20 years old, but has already established himself as one of the brightest defensive players in the world, and is valued at £35m.

Why could Jacquet be perfect for Arsenal?

Arsenal have been formidable in defense under Arteta’s wing. In William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes’ novel, the Londoners have “the best partnership in the world,” words taken from the horse’s mouth.

Some have described Jacquet as the new Saliba, as he has a natural quality on the ball and leadership skills that suggest he could become an Arsenal mainstay in the future.

With that in mind, perhaps he could become an even bigger talent than Guehi, who already captains Oliver Glasner’s side and has been hailed as “one of the best defenders in the league” by an Arsenal content writer.

At a very young age, the France Under-21 international is riding the crest of a wave and would certainly be attracted by the opportunity to move to the Emirates and join the strongest defensive unit in the world.

He is already very strong in sparring, and very calm and precise with the ball. In this, he could be a bigger talent than Guehi, five years his senior, who was a year older when he left Chelsea and signed for Crystal Palace for £18m in 2021.

It says something about Jacquet’s quality that he has already settled into a starring role with Rennes in Ligue 1. Habib Bey’s side are sixth in Ligue 1, and Jacquet has been pivotal in their…

Analyst and scout Ben Mattinson said Jacquet has the “five best centre-backs in the world” and could be the perfect signing to ensure Arsenal’s backline remains the weakest in the game for many years to come.

Guehi would provide Arteta with an immediate boost, but Arteta already has two forces at his disposal, both of whom Jacquet could meet at the top in the coming years.

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