Arsenal have now stormed into the race to sign a centre-back who is "as good as Van Dijk and Saliba", but they may have to pay a huge fee to get a deal done.
Gunners keen on signing another centre-back
The Gunners solidified their place at the top of the Premier League table on Sunday, defeating Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, courtesy of two goals from corners, with William Saliba and Jurrien Timber getting on the scoresheet.
Mikel Arteta has often relied on attacking contributions from his defenders this season, with Gabriel amassing three goals and four assists in the Premier League, while Timber has eight goal involvements to his name.
Of course, the north Londoners have also been solid defensively, shipping just 22 goals in the Premier League, the fewest of any side, with Saliba and Gabriel continuing their partnership at the heart of defence.
However, despite Arteta having a range of options at centre-back, Arsenal remain keen on bringing in a new option during the summer transfer window, and they have now stormed into the race for Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni.
Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni
That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states the Gunners are battling Premier League rivals Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea for his signature, while Barcelona headline the interest from abroad.
Andrea Berta clearly means business, having identified a world-renowned centre-back as a target, but a deal could be on the expensive side, with Inter potentially set to hold out for €100m (£87m).
Bastoni could be on same level as Van Dijk and Saliba
Speaking on Sky Sports, content creator Nieve Petruzziello made it clear she is a keen admirer of the Inter star, claiming he is "as good as Van Dijk and Saliba", before the 26-year-old went on to play a key role in the Italian side reaching the Champions League final, making 14 appearances.
Petruzziello isn't alone in her admiration of the Italy international, with journalist Siavoush Fallahi describing him as "incredible", and he is averaging a FotMob match rating of 7.55 in the Serie A this season, which is the third highest in the Inter squad.
Bastoni clearly has the ability to flourish at the Emirates Stadium, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if Arsenal missed out, given that they are already well-stocked at centre-back, with Gabriel and Saliba ranked among the world's best...