A report via the Sun claims Arsenal are on the brink of signing £10.5m Argentina defender Walter Kannemann.
The Gunners are hoping to offload Shkodran Mustafi to AC Milan but will only have a budget of around £40million for new signings if they fail to win the Europa League and gain a place in next season’s Champions League.
Kannemann, 28, is believed to be one of the best defenders in South America.
He has shined for Gremio since arriving three years ago, playing a crucial role in their Copa Libertadores success in 2017.
Now FOX Sports Argentina reports that Arsenal is ‘intensifying’ their interest in the 28-year-old and are willing to offer around £11.5m to land him.
Kannemann has a release clause in his contract of £17m, which Gremio will hold out for, but the Gunners will try to get him for slightly under that valuation as they try and stretch their transfer budget this summer.
But Gunners fans are skeptical, to say the least, about Arsenal’s potential move for the defender considering his age and lack of European football experience.
One wrote on Reddit: “A 28 years old center-back playing in the Argentinian league. Yup, sounds like an Arsenal buy.”
While another added: “We need an improvement on what we have in defence already. If this guy is, then fair enough. But I doubt a 28-year-old playing in South America is.”
But a third said: “I’ll wait and see what he’s like before pre-judging.”