Europa League finalists Arsenal have lacked a quality defender for many years and club officials have been heavily chastised for their failure to rectify the situation but that could change this summer with RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano identified as their main priority this summer.
Arsenal and their defensive struggles are well documented and that has been their Achilles heel over the past seasons. Gunners Faithfuls were excited with the defensive arrivals of William Saliba and David Luiz last summer but that has not been able to solve their problems defensively on the short-term.
Young French centre back Saliba was immediately loaned back to French club Saint Etienne after his £25m move to Arsenal last summer.
He’s not expected back at Arsenal until this summer.
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For David Luiz, the experienced Brazilian international defender left London rivals, Chelsea, for Arsenal in an £8m deal last summer. The former Benfica and Paris Saint Germain (PSG) centre back was seen as the man to finally solve the long-term defensive issues at the back but he has not lived up to that standard.
David Luiz had a mixed start to his career at the Emirates Stadium until the appointment of Mikel Arteta as the manager at Arsenal towards the end of last year. He has improved remarkably under former Gunners midfielder Arteta.
Despite his improvement under Arteta, David Luiz still holds the record for the most penalties conceded this season. He has given away three penalties to the opposition this season.
Arsenal have already signed a new central defender in January with the loan transfer of Pablo Mari from Flamengo FC in Brazil and they are expected to further strengthen the playing squad by making another bid for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano this summer having had a bid rejected for the same player last summer.
