Mikel Arteta is on a mission this summer to improve his Arsenal side as they look to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title once again.
According to recent reports, the Spaniard could be ready to raid his former employers for the third time in just the last 12 months, with defender Aymeric Laporte potentially set to join Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in making the move from City to the Gunners,
How much will Aymeric Laporte cost Arsenal?
The Gunners have been linked with a move for the centre-back recently, although they face some competition with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in order to land him this summer.
City are prepared to part with the player should they managed to get a deal for Josko Gvardiol over the line and according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via TEAMtalk), Guardiola has set a €30m (£26m) price tag for the defender.
The report also states that Serie A side Juventus are also keen on signing Laporte this summer, yet due to financial problems, they may find it difficult to get a deal over the line which could leave Arsenal and Spurs in the driving seat.
Will Arsenal sign Aymeric Laporte?
The Gunners have already signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea, and with Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber set for medicals at the start of next week, it certainly looks like Arteta isn’t messing about when it comes to bolstering his options ahead of 2023/24.
Another defender would give the Spaniard some strength in depth to his squad, especially with the added rigours of Champions League football while also giving him the licence to finally ditch Rob Holding from his squad.
The Englishman was drafted in to cover the injured William Saliba as he missed the final 11 league matches of the season and the club conceded 18 goals during that spell, winning just five of those games as City took advantage and secured the Premier League crown.
Holding played just 14 top-flight games during 2022/23 and ranked a lowly 17th in the squad for overall Sofascore rating, while ranking outside the top ten for tackles per game and interceptions per game, failing to have a positive influence in the side during his rare opportunities – hence why its time he was moved on this summer.
Laporte also didn’t exactly enjoy the most productive of seasons for City, starting only 20 matches across all competitions as the Manchester side won the treble, however, across the previous 365 days, he has displayed his forward-thinking mentality from the back and this is something Arteta is looking for in his defenders.
Across Europe’s big five leagues, Laporte ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 (seven) and progressive carries per 90 (2.59), showing that not only does he start attacks from the back via his passing range, but he also likes to venture forward with the ball often.
Holding, by contrast, made just 4.35 progressive passes per 90 and 0.53 progressive carries per 90 across Europe’s big five leagues, clearly suggesting that he isn’t even in the same league as Laporte in terms of possessing a keen attacking mindset.
Journalist Muhammad Butt dubbed Laporte as a “beast” previously, and he could become another quality addition to the Arsenal side.