Arsenal have allegedly identified Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly as the man they want to replace Per Mertesacker and he’ll cost £30m.

That’s according to the Telegraph at least.

Personally, I’m just imagining the sweat Wenger is breaking out in at the thought of splashing that much on a defender.

Anyway.

The Telegraph claim that the 24-year-old Senegalese man is now one of Wenger’s transfer priorities. With Gabriel and Per both enduring mixed seasons and Laurent Koscielny getting on a bit, a central defender is certainly required but it’s hard to see one at this price coming in.

A right-footed central defender who can also play at right-back, Koulibaly stands at 6ft 1in tall and is under contract with the Italians until 2019 after signing for the club in 2014 from Genk in Belgium.

He made 33 Serie A appearances last season.

I know we’re in new territory with Arsenal and their spending habits, but I still can’t shake the years of austerity and the lessons it taught me about our boss.

As ever, though, I live to be proven wrong.