Arsenal are leading the race to sign highly rated Nigerian centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez from Rangers next summer, according to TEAMtalk.
Despite arriving from Peterborough United with high expectations, Fernandez’s opportunities were initially limited, with the commanding centre-back starting just one of the club’s first 11 Scottish Premiership matches and being omitted from six matchday squads during that period.
However, he has since established himself as a first-choice option under Danny Röhl and emerged as one of the league’s standout defenders.
Effective at both ends of the pitch, he has scored six goals while winning 69% of his defensive duels, which has unsurprisingly drawn interest from several clubs.
Among the clubs showing interest in Fernandez, TEAMtalk reports that Arsenal are leading the race to sign the towering 6ft 5in centre-back in the summer.
The Gunners are now closely monitoring the 24-year-old ahead of his potential transfer to the Emirates Stadium when the transfer window opens, according to the report.
The North London club will have to act swiftly to complete the deal, as TEAMtalk adds that Chelsea, West Ham United, Everton, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge, Ajax, and Feyenoord are also in the race for the Nigerian.
While Fernandez has expressed his happiness at the Ibrox Stadium, Rangers are braced for keen interest in the London-born Nigerian international and are set to demand a fee between £25m and £35m for the defensive colossus, as per the report.
Fierce battle
Although a case could be made for the Scottish league’s competitiveness, Fernandez, who spent the majority of his career playing English football, has shown remarkable qualities that could prove useful to a possession-based, defensively resilient side like Arsenal.
His 68.8% dribbling success rate and 87.6% passing success rate highlight his superior on-ball qualities and reliability in the build-up.
On the other hand, he has recorded an impressive 229 defensive contributions, including 105 recoveries and 149 clearances. At the same time, his 72.1% aerial duel success would be a valuable asset for set-piece coach Nicolas Jover – both in attacking and defensive situations.
However, Arsenal already have an established centre-back pairing in William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, while Cristian Mosquera, along with most of their full-back options, aside from Myles Lewis-Skelly, can also operate in that role when needed.
Hence, it’ll be interesting to see how the transfer plays out, as Fernandez will likely consider the prospects of regular playing time when deciding his next club.