Arsenal have been linked to RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate once again, according to Spanish site TodoFichajes.com.
The Gunners have not made an ideal start to life in the 2020/21 campaign, currently languishing in 14th place after ten games. Their last outing exposed some defensive frailties, as Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence struck to seal a 2-1 victory for Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates.
In contrast, RB Leipzig have been rock solid at the back this term, conceding just six in the league – only Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad have let in fewer from Europe’s top five leagues. Konate himself has only been playing for a few weeks, having missed the start of the season with a hip problem.
TodoFichajes.com reports that Arsenal are set to make a move for the young Frenchman in January, with manager Mikel Arteta specifically asking that the deal be done. However, the site also states that Die Roten Bullen are not willing to sell the defender until the summer, and want at least €60m.
This is not the first time that these rumours have surfaced. The Daily Mail claimed over two weeks ago that the North Londoners were prepared to make a move, although they would face competition from fellow Premier League clubs. Furthermore, they reported that the 22-year-old has a £45m release clause.
The addition of a younger option at the heart of defence will be useful to Mikel Arteta. From his current roster, both David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos are on the wrong side of 30, while there are question marks over the ability of many others.
Despite Arsenal’s attacking woes in recent weeks, it is believed that their top priority is bringing in a centre-back this January. Nonetheless, they are still being linked with moves for attacking midfielders, with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Dominik Szoboszlai apparently on the Gunners’ radar.
