Arsenal have been urged to make a summer move for RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol by journalist Paul Brown, who recently spoke to GiveMeSport.
Will Arsenal sign a new centre-back this summer?
The Gunners were in a fantastic position to win the Premier League title prior to the back injury suffered by defender William Saliba, which has ruled him out of the last eight league games, indicating new signings will be required this summer.
Journalist David Ornstein has recently claimed Mikel Arteta will "definitely" look at bringing in additional reinforcements at centre-back, and the manager has started to run the rule over a number of options.
Although he has primarily featured as a right-back this season, Ivan Fresneda is also able to play centrally, with his versatility impressing Arteta, while Marc Guehi has also been identified as a potential target.
There may be stiff competition for Gvardiol, who is said to have a €110m (£97m) release clause included in his contract, which becomes active in 2024, but there have now been calls for Arsenal to join the race for his signature.
In an interview with GiveMeSport, Brown said: “They should go and get Gvardiol. I think he'd be perfect. Whether he'd go there, we don't know. But Arsenal are going to be a Champions League team.
“They might win the league this season and will be an attractive club. Why not make an offer?”
Should Arsenal sign Josko Gvardiol?
It is clear the Gunners need to strengthen at centre-back, given that they have struggled ever since Rob Holding came into the side to replace Saliba, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last seven games, having kept three in the four games prior.
Journalist Charles Watts claimed the Englishman was "exposed woefully" against Manchester City, while GiveMeSport's Alex Batt has previously branded him a "liability".
Gvardiol, on the other hand, is one of the most exciting young centre-backs in Europe, being hailed as a "gladiator" by journalist Ryan Taylor during the 2022 World Cup, a tournament in which he was ranked by Sofascore as Croatia's fifth-best performing player.
The 6 foot 1 defender is a threat going forward, ranking in the 90th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers, also averaging more tackles, interceptions and blocks than Holding during that time period.
As such, the Zagreb-born centre-back would be an excellent addition for Arsenal, but his £97m release may make it a difficult transfer to orchestrate this summer.