Arsenal are reportedly leading the race to sign highly rated Nigerian centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez in the summer transfer window.
Emmanuel Fernandez only joined the Scottish side in the 25/26 summer transfer window, but has impressed Europe’s top clubs in just one season.
The start to life at Ibrox wasn’t smooth sailing for the staggering 6ft 5in defender, as upon arrival he was initially limited in pitch time, making only one starting appearance in the club’s first eleven ties, and was left out of the squad entirely for six of those games.
However, since then he has established himself as one of the top defenders in the Scottish Premiership and a nailed-on starter under Rangers boss Danny Rohl.
The Nigerian is not just effective at the back, netting six goals in just twenty-eight games for The Gers, with The Gunners now wanting him, according to TEAMtalk.
Arsenal will have to fend off interest from clubs across Europe
Fernandez is clearly a player with a great deal of ability, playing the whole of his career prior to joining the Scottish giants in England.
Rangers signed him from Peterborough United for around £2.5 million, but could see a great increase in a potential sale with the Scottish side wanting between £25-35 million, ten times the amount they paid for him just last year.
That transfer fee could be warranted with his previously mentioned six goals in just twenty-eight games and an impressive 72.1% win rate in aerial duels, and recording an impressive 229 defensive contributions, garnering interest from clubs in England, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
An argument could be made for the competitiveness of the Scottish league at times, the Nigerian did play the majority of his five-year professional career in England, and would be back playing in London if he joined the Gunners for the first time since his loan move from Peterborough to Barnet just 3 seasons ago.
Gunners lead the race for the near two-meter-tall defender
Fernandez has however, expressed his happiness in Glasgow, Rangers are open to a move for the right price as the sought-after London-born centre half enters the radar of europes finest.
Arsenal aren’t the only London-based team chasing the 24-year-old as he is reportedly on the radar for West Ham, according to TransferFeed and Chelsea, based on reports from FootballTalk. There are many big clubs that Fernandez is on the radar for at the moment, including fellow Premier League side Everton, Dutch titans Feyenoord and Ajax.
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He is also being scouted by multiple German clubs, including Dortmund and Leverkusen, previously being wanted by Reigning champions Bayern Munich, who have now pulled out, as reported by TeamTalk with “Sources cooling”.
Despite the clear interest, Arsenal do already have depth in quality in the Center back position with the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel and Cristhian Mosquera with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Piero Hincapie as cover when needed.
Arsenal are clearly intending to defend a potential title next season or improve on this season. With negotiations expected to develop in the forthcoming months, it is clear Arsenal are in with a shout for the Nigerian but will have to fight off significant interest from Europe’s top divisions.