Arsenal have joined the race with Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd to sign the “next William Saliba”.
The Gunners aren’t planning any major January signings as their current squad is arguably the deepest in Europe, however, Mikel Arteta has said they will be ‘active’ in the transfer market, and could look to land future stars.
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Arsenal come off a 3-2 win against Bournemouth, and now have a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table. They next face off against Liverpool, who are desperately looking to sign a centre-back in January to re-ignite their form under Arne Slot.
Reports claim that one of the centre-backs on Liverpool’s radar is a 20-year-old wonderkid from France, who has been compared to a young William Saliba. However, Arsenal could compete with the Reds for his signature.
Arsenal join the race for Jeremy Jacquet
20-year-old Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet is attracting a lot of Premier League interest, as many believe he could be the next great French centre-back.
He has made 16 appearances in Ligue 1 for Rennes this season, and has an estimated market value of around £17m. Although, based on his very high potential, Rennes would likely demand much more for his signature.
According to TeamTalk, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea are all interested in Jacquet, and could all potentially make a January move for the 20-year-old.
Many have compared Jacquet to Arsenal defender Saliba, as he has a commanding physical presence, speed, and also a maturity on the ball, which Saliba has shown over the years at Arsenal.
Jacquet could help with the Gunners’ defensive injuries
In recent months, Arsenal have seen several injuries in defensive positions, with the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel, Jurrien Timber and Cristhian Mosquera all dealing with injury problems, which has forced Arteta to get creative with his starting XI.
A perfect example of this was two games ago against Brighton, Arteta had to start Declan Rice as a full-back, which is surely something he did as a last resort, considering that Rice is one of the most instrumental Arsenal players.
If the Gunners were to sign Jacquet in January, he could help add some extra depth at the back, which could be vital for the run-in of the Premier League season.
Click here to see Arsenal’s latest injury news and expected return dates.