Arsenal to make stunning move for defensive rock with great 'speed and strength': report

 Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on December 02, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal are looking to add some defensive steel to their squad in the summer transfer window, with one particular athlete touted for a move.

After a torrid week in which they lost 2-0 to Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday before crashing out of the Champions League to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, rumours have started gathering pace as to who Arsenal might sign in the summer.

But despite a striker still seeming like the most likely area of concern, it's a centre-back who is the latest player to be linked with the Gunners. 

Gabriel Magalhaes of Arsenal, January 2024

Arsenal might look for more defensive reinforcements (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to Ecuadorian outlet Bolavip, Arsenal are considering making a £38.5m move for Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Willian Pacho in the summer, with the 22-year-old having impressed in the Bundesliga this season.

The report suggests that Frankfurt will want a figure closer to £52m, though, meaning there is some distance between valuations from both clubs. Plus, Liverpool are also interested in the Ecuadorian, potentially hiking the price up further.

Left-footed and comfortable on the ball, Arsenal could look to play Pacho instead of Gabriel next season. He'd certainly fit in with Mikel Arteta's focus on defensive solidity, too, with his physical attributes especially highlighted by Frankfurt sporting director, Markus Krosche.

Arsenal target Willian Pacho of Eintracht Frankfurt looks on during the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 playoff second leg match between Eintracht Frankfurt and R. Union Saint-Gilloise at Deutsche Bank Park on February 22, 2024 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

(Image credit: Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

"Willian is a very clever player, who listens well and is quick to implement what's asked of him," Krosche said. "His speed and strength in the tackle are what make him stand out." 

Transfermarkt values Pacho at £27m, despite the centre-back still having four years remaining on his deal. It's safe to say he would cost considerably more than that this summer. 

In FourFourTwo's view, there certainly seems to be some legs in this transfer link. While Gabriel has been a consistent performer for the Gunners this season, it did seem like Arteta wanted to play Ben White more centrally prior to Jurrien Timber's injury at the start of the season. Pacho may not be the final target, but a left-sided centre-back certainly could be.

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Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.