Arsenal strike 'verbal agreement' with half-price Dean Huijsen alternative

Arsenal may have found an alternative to Dean Huijsen as they look to add key depth to the centre-back position. The Gunners have a number of needs to address this summer, hoping to close the gap on Premier League champions Liverpool by the time the start of the new season comes around.

New sporting director Andrea Berta will already be hard at work, with Mikel Arteta still said to be having a big say on recruitment despite the change in recruitment chiefs. Heading into this summer, the Gunners need to strengthen in a number of positions, with depth needed across the squad.

One of the areas they will be considering adding depth to is the centre-back position. Gabriel Magalhaes’ injury at the back-end of this season has shown a need for further depth, especially with Jakub Kiwior being linked with a move away, the Poland international seemingly wanting more regular game time.

The Gunners are said to be interested in a move for AFC Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen, but that ship may already have sailed. Reports aplenty have claimed that the Spain international is subject to interest from Real Madrid. Los Blancos need a new centre-back as they look to get off on the right foot under Xabi Alonso, and Huijsen is said to fit the bill, clearly having a big future ahead and with a release clause of only £50million.

Arsenal have been credited with interest, but Huijsen is said to have a preference to return to Spain, and it looks as though Real Madrid will win that particular transfer race.

Arsenal pivot and find ‘agreement’

According to El Diario Ecuador, Arsenal are ‘one step’ away from signing Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordóñez. It’s claimed the Gunners have a ‘verbal agreement’ over a deal, with a fee of around £25million being reported.

The 21-year-old has also been linked with a move to PSG, with the defender having made 47 appearances across all competitions this season. The youngster is already a six-time Ecuador international, and like Huijsen, he is a player with a big upside, given his age and early experience.

Arsenal boss Arteta is yet to specify where he wants to strengthen this summer, and he is unlikely to publicly, but the Spaniard has spoken about recruitment in general, making it clear that the club chiefs will be on the front foot this summer.

“We will do everything that we can to improve the team and especially improve the players that we already have and whatever the market offers to give us a better chance to win for sure we will try to do it,” he said recently. “But I think we have to do it our way, and we have to be authentic with ourselves and what we believe and what we can do as well and what we've been doing. That's it.”

The Gunners do have centre-back depth strictly speaking, with Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White all able to play at centre-back, but Arteta prefers to use all of those players at full-back, and without those three, there are only two out-and-out centre-back options.

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