Just like every other big club, Arsenal are trying to finish some transfer business before the World Cup begins, setting their sights on Marseille centre back Nicolas N’Koulou, a player they’ve been following for quite some time, but might finally be making a move for this summer.
The Cameroonian has been in France since 2007, and playing for Marseille since 2011, featuring in the Ligue 1 team of the year in both 2012 and 2013, probably the best centre back in the league outside of Thiago Silva of PSG.
Signed until 2016, it seems the player isn’t very happy with the underachieving side, as they won’t finish above 5th place this season, failing to put themselves in a title winning position since winning the championship in 2010.
Arsenal are likely going to spend around £12 million for the player, who will be playing for Cameroon in the 2014 World Cup; he already has 43 caps for the national team, also appearing in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Centre back might not be the most urgent of needs for Arsenal, but the 24-year old might make things a bit more competitive for Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscileny, who don’t really have anyone to compete with them for the starting spots, and it’s not like the two have been flawless in their performances over this past season, especially in the big matches when it seems like the whole team is falling apart.
Arsenal signed only one player (we will ignore the free Yaya Sanogo transfer) a year ago in the offseason. Kim Kallstrom coming in the middle of the season can also be ignored. Arsene Wenger is staying most likely, and to stop being trapped in the 4th place forever, a more aggressive and possibly creative approach in the transfer market is going to be needed.