Crystal Palace transfer news: Arsenal defender Rob Holding on verge of £4m move

Arsene Wenger signed Rob Holding for Arsenal in July 2016

Arsenal defender Rob Holding is on the verge of completing a £4m move to fellow Premier League club Crystal Palace.

The 27-year-old defender’s contract with the Gunners is set to expire at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Sevilla had also been interested in signing Holding but the Eagles are on course to finalise the deal before the transfer window closes.

Holding would be Palace boss Roy Hodgson’s fourth signing of the summer.

Stalybridge-born Holding began his career with Bolton, where he made 26 appearances in the Championship before joining Arsenal in July 2016 for £2m.

He was handed his Arsenal debut by Arsene Wenger in August 2016 and has made 162 appearances in all competitions for the club.

Holding played in Arsenal’s FA Cup final-winning teams of 2016-17 and 2019-20 and was capped five times by England at Under-21 level.

Hodgson said at a press conference on Friday that Holding has been a long-term target and would be a welcome addition at Selhurst Park.

“Rob Holding is player who has interested us for a while and Doug Freedman knows this very well,” Hodgson said.

“We are working on the basis perhaps that you can’t have too many good-quality players in your squad.

“I can only say I would be very happy to work with him here.”

Palace have signed attacking midfielder Matheus Franca, goalkeeper Dean Henderson and defensive midfielder Jefferson Lerma this summer.