According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, Arsenal have approached Girona to sign Spanish defender Arnau Martinez.
The Gunners have had a fascinating transfer window, and they have already made seven signings including Eberechi Eze, who arrived from Crystal Palace last weekend.
Arsenal are not done yet in the transfer market. They have already opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen regarding the potential transfer of defender Piero Hincapie.
Mikel Arteta’s side have now been credited with an interest in signing Martinez, who is primarily a right-back. They have proposed to pay £6.9 million plus £1.7m in add-ons to purchase the 22-year-old.
Squad depth
Arsenal have focused on adding quality and depth in several positions this summer. They have already added a quality centre-back in Cristhian Mosquera, who can also operate from the full-back roles.
However, there could be more activity before the window closes. Hincapie has emerged as a potential successor for Jakub Kiwior, who could be on his way to Porto on loan with an obligation to buy.
The Ecuadorian is a strong ball-playing centre-back with a good aerial presence. He can comfortably play from the left-back role as well. At 23, he would be a good upgrade on Kiwior for the Gunners.
Arsenal don’t necessarily need another right-back, but they could pursue one with the money recouped from Oleksandr Zinchenko’s exit. In that case, Martinez would be a fine addition to the club’s ranks.
The Spaniard started off his career as a central defender, but has developed into a top-class right-back. Martinez completed 88% of his passes in La Liga last season, while winning almost 60% of his duels contested.
He also caught the eye with his defensive attributes. He made 3.9 recoveries, 2 clearances and 1.6 tackles per outing. Aside from this, the 22-year-old has impressed with his crossing ability on occasions.
Manager Mikel Arteta may want cover for Jurrien Timber and Ben White to reduce the workload. The latter picked up a new injury in the Premier League curtain-raiser against Manchester United this month.
Martinez could be seen as a third-choice right-back in the squad, who could play in the Cup competitions. His playing time could increase in future if one of Timber or White were to head for the exit door.