Arsenal have FOUR-MAN shortlist ahead of transfer deadline
Robin Bairner
- 24 Aug 2023 14:14 BST
- 4 min read
Arsenal have a four-man transfer shortlist to replace Jurrien Timber and will try to sign one of these players before Deadline Day, according to Rudy Galetti.
Timber arrived from Ajax for €40 million this summer but was struck down by a serious knee injury in the opening Premier League game of the season, a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.
Forecast to miss much of the season, Mikel Arteta wants a replacement for the Netherlands international and is set to scour possibilities across the footballing globe.
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Galetti reports that one of the four players that has caught the eye of the Gunners is Galatasaray star Victor Nelsson.
The 24-year-old centre-back has played in the Super Lig since 2021, when he joined from Copenhagen, and has gone on to establish himself as a regular at the Turkish giants.
If he were to move to Arsenal, it would come as something of a surprise as Arteta tends to value versatility. Timber, for example, was prized because he could also cover the right-back role. Nelsson is more of an orthodox central defender, although he has been used in midfield during his career.
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🚨👀 After injury of #Timber, #Arsenal are looking for a new centre-back.
📋 In the #AFC's list there are 4 options: one of them is Victor #Nelsson.
💰 The #Galatasaray player has a release clause of €25m. 🐓⚽ pic.twitter.com/MLgO8lMEKe— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) August 24, 2023
For now, he also appears to be firmly in Galatasaray’s plans. During their Champions League play-off encounter against Molde, he played the full 90 minutes. Indeed, the only game he has missed so far this season was a second-leg clash against Olimpija, in which Gala boasted a 3-0 lead.
He is also a 10-time capped Denmark international and played one of his side’s three matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
What are Victor Nelsson’s strengths?
Nelsson’s main strengths are his ability to suppress opponents’ dribbling while he also has an astute positional sense, according to data analytics experts SciSports.
With Galatasaray last season, he did not perform well in terms of his recovery in his own third or tackling, although it is known that Arteta prefers a more technical style of defender.
