Arsenal sent response after defender 'approach' as new contract offered

Arsenal are said to be interested in signing another young centre-back after the signing of Cristhian Mosquera earlier this summer. The Gunners have been very bold in the summer transfer window, splashing out well over £200million in a bid to improve on all fronts.

Mikel Arteta knows he needs to deliver a Premier League title sooner rather than later after big spending over recent years, and an influx of new talent should give him a chance to pull off that feat.

One of the positions Arsenal knew they needed to strengthen was centre-back, albeit more in a case of depth than replacing current starters William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, who have the starting spots nailed down.

Jakub Kiwior’s future remains a little uncertain, especially with Arsenal now needing to raise money to balance their spending, and Mosquera was signed as another option from Valencia.

Arteta said at the time: “We're delighted to welcome Cristhian to Arsenal. As a 21-year-old defender, Cristhian has already performed consistently well with significant experience in La Liga. He is an intelligent player with good pace, who can play centrally and on both sides.

“He is a young player with exciting talent and enormous potential, who will fit well into our squad as we continue to prepare for next season. Cristhian adds good quality to our squad, and we look forward to working with him and making him feel at home with us. From all of us, we welcome Cristhian and his family to the club.”

But Arsenal may yet add another defender, with Rennes star Jeremy Jacquet reportedly of interest. The 20-year-old spent last season on loan with Clermont, making 23 league appearances, and he has reportedly been identified as an option for the Gunners as they look to continue signing young talent.

But according to Foot Mercato, Arsenal’s approach to the player has not received a positive response, with Jacquet reportedly rejecting the Gunners in favour of a stay with his current club. The reasons as to why are not clear, but after a loan spell away from Rennes last season, he perhaps feels as though he will get his first-team opportunity this coming season, something he is not likely to get any time soon with Arsenal.

In response to the approach, Rennes are said to have offered the young defender improved terms and a contract up to the summer of 2029 as they look to secure his services long-term and dissuade interested club from making further approaches. If the report of Jacquet rejecting Arsenal is accurate, Rennes will surely feel pretty confident about getting a deal done, and if it is signed, they will at least be able to ask for a much bigger fee should clubs come knocking again.

As for Arsenal they do have depth at centre-back now that they have Mosquera. It remains to be seen whether Kiwior will stay, but it’s also worth remembering that while Arteta seems to prefer them all as ful-backs, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White all have plenty of experience playing at centre-back, meaning there is always sufficient cover should it be required.

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