Berta-Arsenal
Andrea Berta is very impressed by young Brest defender Raphaël Le Guen, who has previously attracted rejected offers from Crystal Palace and Fulham, according to transfer insider Arsenal Radar.
🚨 Andrea Berta is VERY IMPRESSED by young Brest defender Rafaël Le Guen, who has previously attracted rejected offers from Crystal Palace and Fulham.
The 18-year-old has even been COMPARED TO WILLIAM SALIBA.
Definitely a NAME TO WATCH for the future. 👀
🗞️ @RyanTaylorSport… pic.twitter.com/Azv53TRzzW
— Arsenal Radar (@ArsenalRadar) September 2, 2026
Arsenal’s history with Raphaël Le Guen this summer
This isn’t the first time Le Guen has appeared on Arsenal’s radar.
Earlier in the window, with William Saliba sidelined by a back injury aggravated during France’s World Cup campaign, Arsenal explored the French centre-back as potential short-term cover, alongside Ezri Konsa (who eventually signed at the Emirates stadium) and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah.
At the time, Mikel Arteta reportedly preferred a more experienced option for the immediate problem, and Crystal Palace ultimately moved fastest, agreeing personal terms with the 19-year-old before getting tangled up in fee negotiations with Brest.
Le Guen has already broken into Brest’s first-team setup, making six Ligue 1 appearances and drawing comparisons to William Saliba himself given his height, at 6ft 6in, and his composure on the ball for someone still so young.
Why this interest matters going forward
Berta’s renewed admiration suggests Arsenal’s interest in Le Guen was never purely about solving an immediate defensive crisis.
A centre-back capable of drawing genuine comparisons to Saliba, even allowing for the usual caveats that come with any 19-year-old prospect, is exactly the kind of long-term profile a club like Arsenal keeps tabs on regardless of what happens with more pressing needs elsewhere.
Whether that interest translates into a concrete move remains to be seen, particularly with Crystal Palace having already done the groundwork on personal terms earlier in the window. But with Berta clearly keeping him firmly on the radar, Le Guen is a name well worth remembering the next time Arsenal go shopping for defensive depth.