It could be an interesting summer transfer window ahead at the Emirates Stadium, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano revealing that Arsenal are set to target a defender in the summer transfer window, as they look to bolster their defensive reinforcements ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign
Matthijs de Ligt
De Ligt has been with Bayern Munich since 2022, having previously played for German giants Juventus. He’s made 60 appearances for Bayern Munich since signing for the club, and has found regular game time hard to come by in the last year in particular, with the likes of Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae being ahead of him in the pecking order.
Thomas Tuchel has singled out De Ligt for criticism at times in the 2023/24 season, and with former Tottenham defender Eric Dier sometimes featuring in the starting XI ahead of him at Bayern Munich, it seems as though De Ligt’s days with the club are numbered.
The Dutchman has previously caught the eye with Ajax, where he was a crucial member of their defence, and he played his part in their run to the Champions League quarter-final in the 2018/19 season. He’d bring a winning mentality to the Arsenal squad, having won three trophies at Juventus, and one Bundesliga title so far in his time with Bayern Munich, and many are likely to feel as though he’d be a solid option to add to the Arsenal defence.
Giorgio Scalvini
Scalvini is a player with a bright future ahead of him if the early stages of his senior career are anything to go by. He’s currently playing his football with Italian side Atalanta, of whom he’s made 82 appearances in total. Scalvini made his senior debut at the age of 17, and he’s gone from strength to strength ever since, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see some Premier League clubs come calling for his services in future transfer windows.
At the age of 20, he’s still got plenty of room to develop as a player, but given the quality he’s already shown at a high level in Serie A, Arsenal should look at trying to strike a deal with Atalanta to land Scalvini’s signature.
Murillo
Murillo only signed for Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023 from Brazilian side Corinthians, but it’s safe to say that he’s already caught the eye for all the right reasons in the Premier League. The 21-year-old has been a regular in the starting XI for Forest, and has been a rare bright spark in a disappointing season for the Reds.
He signed a five-year deal with Nottingham Forest, but is already seeing himself linked with other clubs ahead of the summer transfer window. Murillo’s main strength is his speed, and we’ve already seen him using this to advantage, as it’s often seen getting the Forest defence out of trouble.
Forest are in danger of being relegated into the Championship this season, and it’s been revealed by betting experts at MyBettingSites that Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are priced at 7/4 on Unibet to be relegated from the top-flight this season.
Jules Kounde
Kounde has been linked with Arsenal in previous transfer windows, and it’ll be interesting to see if he’s willing to make the move to the Premier League with Mikel Arteta’s side. The Frenchman is contracted with Barcelona until 2027, and it remains to be seen as to whether they’re willing to sell him anytime soon.
Kounde had previously been on the books with Spanish side Sevilla, but has since gone on to make 70 appearances for Barcelona so far, which includes 30 outings in all competitions this term. He’s a versatile option to have in the defence as well, as we’ve seen Kounde line up at right-back more times than not so far this season, and that versatility could come in useful for Arsenal during busy periods of the Premier League campaign.