Arsenal have now been provided with another update on their pursuit of Galatasaray centre-back Victor Nelsson by journalist Rudy Galetti.
What’s the latest Arsenal transfer news?
With Jurrien Timber forecast to miss the majority of the season due to the serious knee injury he sustained in the 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest, Mikel Arteta is scouring the market for a replacement, and he has settled on a four-man shortlist.
Although he remains firmly in Galasaray’s plans for now, Nelsson is one of the players on the manager’s list of targets, with a deal seemingly doable, considering he has a release clause of just €25m (£21m) included in his contract with the Turkish club.
A move for the 24-year-old may end up being the most viable option available to the Gunners, as deals for the other centre-backs they are known to have an interest in could prove to be very tricky, with Crystal Palace set to hold out for more than £60m if they are to sell Marc Guehi.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba would also be very expensive, with the Bundesliga club demanding £50m if they are to sanction the Burkina Faso international’s departure, while Barcelona have no interest in letting Eric Garcia leave on loan at this stage of the window.
With their shortlist thinning, Arsenal could end up making Nelsson one of their priority targets, and Galetti has recently told GiveMeSport that the defender is of growing interest to the north Londoners.
The journalist said: “Talking about the possible incoming moves after the injury of Jurrien Timber, Arsenal are looking for a new centre-back. On their list is four different options. One of them is Victor Nelsson. The Galatasaray defender has a release clause of €25m (£21m) and he’s climbing position on Arsenal’s shortlist, which has four different names.”
Is Victor Nelsson signing for Arsenal?
It would be a surprise if Galatasaray are happy to let the Denmark international leave this summer, with board member Resit Omer Kukner clearly a big fan, considering how highly he spoke about him on X in March 2022, saying:
“Dear Victor Nelsson, You are Galatasaray’s first Danish player. Beside being a great athlete devoted to his Club, your attitude on and off the pitch is winning hearts of millions. Your jersey gesture after the match is beyond description. You are our Danish lion!”
However, as the Galatasaray star has a £21m release clause in his contract, the club’s hands are tied, and the player himself reportedly wants to move to the Premier League, with journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu claiming England would be his first choice, ahead of La Liga.
As such, Arsenal would seemingly stand a very good chance of signing the Danish defender, should they be willing to fork out £21m, and there are indications he could be a solid addition to Arteta’s squad.
At 24, Nelsson is likely to be entering his prime over the next few years, but he has already done enough to establish himself as a vital player for Galatasaray over the past two seasons, making 86 appearances in all competitions.