Arsenal are want to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Dan-Axel Zagadou, it has been claimed.
The 20-year-old, who impressed for both club and country level last season, has been on the Gunners’ radar, even though he still has three years left on his current contract with Borussia Dortmund.
According to the Mirror, Arsenal were impressed by Zagadou’s performances for the French side in the Under-20 World Cup, and want to move in for him.
Borussia Dortmund went close to wrestling the Bundesliga title away from Bayern Munich last summer, and have re-signed Mats Hummels from the Bavarians giants. The move for Hummels might put Zagadou’s starting position in jeopardy.
Is Zagadou the perfect player for Arsenal?
The Dortmund defender is a versatile player who predominantly features as a centre-back, but can also play as a left-back if needed.
The former Paris Saint-Germain youngster stands in at 6ft 4in tall, and has done pretty well for Dortmund after joining the club from PSG. He averaged 2.9 aerial duels won per game across all competitions last season, which shows his aerial dominance.
The 20-year-old also managed 1.3 interceptions and 4.1 clearances per 90 minutes last campaign, which highlight his anticipation skills and confidence to put his body on the line.
Apart from his defensive prowess, the young defender is also a leader on the pitch, an attitude which helped him earn the captain’s armband for France in the U-20 World Cup in Poland.
Despite his young age, Zagadou has shown tremendous maturity, and Arsenal need someone of his ilk to move forward next season. The Gunners have been too porous at the back, and if Emery is given someone like Zagadou to work with, he could finally shape his defence properly and make the team a stronger unit at the back.
A move to Arsenal would guarantee Zagadou a starting spot as barring Sokratis, no Arsenal centre-back really impressed this past season.
Zagadou will not come cheap, though, as he still has three years remaining on his contract. But he is the ideal player for the club to target, as he has played at the highest level and done reasonably well.
Arsenal must break the bank for the young Frenchman as he has shown good potential, and will only get better with time.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored