Arsenal could battle it out with Newcastle United to sign Eintracht Frankfurt defender Nnamdi Collins during the summer transfer window, according to SportBild (page 23).
The 22-year-old has been a key player under manager Albert Riera over the last few months.
SportBild now reveal that Eintracht will need to generate revenue this summer with the genuine prospect of missing out on European football during the 2026/27 campaign.
Collins, who is being closely watched by Arsenal and Newcastle, could be one of the first-team players heading for the exit door alongside Nathaniel Brown later this year.
The 22-year-old could be prised away for a fee between £26m and £35m at the end of the season.
Collins could be eyed as Ben White’s successor
White has played second fiddle to Jurrien Timber for the right-back position at Arsenal this term. The 28-year-old has registered just 411 minutes in the league under manager Mikel Arteta.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion graduate was back in the starting line-up against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but it was influenced by Timber’s injury absence.
The Englishman is said to be considering a new club to play regularly. If he were to push for a summer exit, the Gunners may enter the transfer market for another right-back.
Arteta may prefer a versatile solution in the ranks. Collins could emerge as a proper target. He is a central defender by trade but has had plenty of minutes at right-back this season.
The German international has also played left-back on occasions. He has been effective with a passing accuracy of 88 percent in the Bundesliga, winning 60 percent of his duels.
Collins has also made 2.2 tackles and 2.4 clearances per outing.
Eintracht are currently 12 points adrift of the final Champions League spot (fourth) in the Bundesliga. There is a seven-point gap between them and Leverkusen, who are above in sixth.
As things stand, they could qualify for the Conference League at best if Bayern Munich, Leverkusen or Stuttgart were to win the DFB-Pokal Cup at the end of the season.
With the significant difference in revenue without Champions League football, it could open the door for some big-money exits. Arsenal could capitalise to bring in Collins.
The Gunners should have a clear advantage over the Magpies, who may not offer European football next season with their poor league form under manager Eddie Howe.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com