Arsenal are reportedly ready to rival their north London foes for the signing of Galatasaray defender, Victor Nelsson, according to reports coming out of Turkey.
What's the latest on Nelsson to Arsenal?
As per transfer insider Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, writing on Twitter, both the Gunners and rivals Tottenham Hotspur are said to be in the race for the 24-year-old's signature, albeit with the likes of Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund also tracking the Dane's progress.
The Turkish journalist also revealed, however, that the centre-back's "first choice" is to seal a move to the Premier League, having spent the last two seasons with the Istanbul outfit.
This comes amid reports that Spurs – now led by new boss Ange Postecoglou – have lodged a big of around €22m (£19m) for the former Copenhagen ace, albeit with the Super Lig giants said to be holding out for closer to €25m (£21m) if they are to sanction a sale.
Should Arsenal sign Victor Nelsson?
It would no doubt be a real delight to Arsenal supporters if the club could get one over on Postecoglou and co by snapping up Nelsson this summer, with the ex-Celtic boss having seemingly already been dealt a blow amid reports that the Lilywhites are likely to lose out to Newcastle United for the signing of James Maddison.
Further reports have suggested that the 57-year-old is eyeing a new centre-back addition as he seeks to strengthen his defensive options at N17, hence the apparent interest in a coveted talent such as Nelsson ahead of next season.
The signing of the 6 foot 1 ace would not merely be a way for Mikel Arteta and co to frustrate their neighbours, with the ten-cap rock having also showcased himself to be quality asset in his own right, having enjoyed "exemplary" development in recent years, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Lauded as a "great mix of a pure defender and ball-playing centre-back" by Kulig, the one-time Nordsjaelland ace could well represent a dream upgrade on long-serving Gunners man, Rob Holding, with Arteta believed to be open to offers for the Englishman.
The former Bolton Wanderers man has failed to prove himself as a reliable option in recent years, with club legend Emmanuel Petit stating that: "If you want to win titles I think it’s difficult for Holding to play every game".
The 27-year-old was notably "exposed woefully" in the defeat to title rivals Manchester City at the Etihad back in April, according to GOAL's Charles Watts, with that a marker that he is perhaps not the best understudy to the likes of Gabriel and William Saliba.
As such, bringing Nelsson into the fold could well allow Arteta to finally show Holding the door, with the difference in quality between the pair seemingly stark.
That is shown by the fact that in 14 league appearances for the Emirates outfit in 2022/23, the current Arsenal man failed to keep a single clean sheet and averaged just 0.2 interceptions and 0.6 tackles per game, while his Danish counterpart, by contrast, help to record 15 shut outs in 33 league outings, while averaging one interception and 0.8 tackles per game.
That superior defensive quality is also shown by the fact that while Holding won just 56% of his aerial duels in the most recent campaign, Nelsson was far more dominant having won 65% of his aerial duels, proving just why he is something of a "pearl" at the heart of the defence, as per Kulig.
It is then plainly clear why Arteta would be interested in snapping up the latter man over the coming weeks, with the Gunners not wanting to allow the aforementioned Postecoglou to acquire such a quality option as part of his Spurs summer rebuild.