Arsenal: 5 David Luiz alternatives with summer exit confirmed

Joachim Andersen

After the news on Konate died down, nobody has been linked more heavily to Arsenal this summer than Fulham’s on loan defender Joachim Andersen.

Lyon, like all Ligue 1 sides, are feeling the pinch financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic as well as the collapse of the country’s TV licensing deal, and are willing to sell the Dane whose desire is to remain in the Premier League.

While Fulham have been atrocious this season in almost every department, it speaks volumes of the individuals who can come out of relegation dogfights with interest from more established clubs. It’s Tottenham and Arsenal who are leading this £20m chase.

Is Andersen really it, though? He’s had a fine season and would add both quality and experience to this Arsenal squad, yet as the established, ball-playing central defender who can fill Luiz’s boots, his addition would hardly set the pulses racing.

Arsenal’s right side has been a real problem area for a number of months. When fit, Kieran Tierney on the left and Gabriel or Pablo Mari to his side with Xhaka inside and Pepe further forward has worked. Cross the pitch and an uncertain right-back scenario and limited right-sided central defender have contributed to weakness building triangles down that side.

Andersen isn’t the guy to help fix that.