Arsenal set to sign £17m Rob Holding replacement ahead of Tottenham: report

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield on April 9, 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

Arsenal are ready to bring in another centre-back, as Mikel Arteta bolstered his backline and fixes a problem position.

The Gunners were dealt a terrible double blow in their Europa League knockout fixture with Sporting at the Emirates Stadium this season when William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu were both injured. Saliba is short of fitness and set to miss this week’s crunch clash with Manchester City, while Tomiyasu is out for the season.

With Rob Holding stepping into defence, Arsenal have been significantly weaker at the back and now look set to bring in another defender to provide cover.

Rob Holding of Arsenal, Gabriel and teammates look dejected after conceding their side’s second goal scored by Theo Walcott of Southampton (not pictured) during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Southampton FC at Emirates Stadium on April 21, 2023 in London, England.

According to Croatian outlet 24 Sata, Arsenal are set to bring Dinamo Zagreb defender, Josip Sutalo, to the Emirates Stadium to plug a hole in their defence.

The 22-year-old is capable of operating at right-back, too, making him similar stylistically to both Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, the latter of whom has suffered with consistent injuries since arriving in London from Bologna in the summer of 2021.

Croatian international Sutalo has a release clause set of €20 million, with the north Londoners having already spoken to his club about signing him. Sutalo is reportedly interested in return.

TuttoMercatoWeb, meanwhile, reported in November of last year that Arsenal’s closest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, were interested in the centre-back.

Josip Sutalo of Croatia poses during the official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 portrait session on November 19, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.

The Gunners have five centre-backs in White, Tomiyasu, Gabriel, Saliba and Holding – though the former two play more on the right, with Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko options at left-back.

Sutalo is valued at €18m by Transfermarkt.

Arsenal are already being linked with a host of big names ahead of a summer back in the Champions League.

Mason Mount is an option in midfield, with Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic and Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby rumoured in the attack. Both Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Crystal Palace star Wilf Zaha are on the radar, too. Younger stars are interesting the Gunners, too: Vitor Roque might end up at the Emirates, while Flamengo’s Matheus Franca is being watched.

Meanwhile, cult hero Mathieu Flamini has refused to rule out a move to buy Arsenal.