Arsenal have had a season that has certainly exceeded expectations in the Premier League, despite recent form causing them to almost certainly miss out on a historic title.
Mikel Arteta’s side were top of the table for the majority of the season before a damning April dealt the Gunners a blow to their hopes of securing their first league triumph since 2004.
With two games remaining this campaign, the north Londoners are reportedly already looking ahead to next term, with the summer transfer window in sight.
Finishing in the top two has settled Arsenal’s place in the Champions League in 2023/24, where performances and squad depth will be vital in providing success both in and out of England.
The injuries to both William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu in March were influential on Arteta’s teams’ collapse, where their lack of depth to cover first-choice names became all too evident.
It seems as though this is an area Arsenal wish to strengthen this summer, with a Bundesliga defender rumoured to be on the shortlist of names wanted at the Emirates.
What’s the latest on Mohamed Simakan to Arsenal?
The club have set their sights on RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan this summer, as reported by The Guardian’s Ed Aarons earlier this month.
It’s understood that the north Londoners are showing "strong interest" in the 23-year-old, coinciding with football.london’s reports that the Gunners are aiming to 'bolster' their defence.
The Frenchman signed a new deal in December with Leipzig taking his current contract to 2027 with the Bundesliga side. It remains to be seen exactly how much the young talent would command this off-season, though CIES Football Observatory currently estimate his value to be in the region of €30m (£26m).
What can Mohamed Simakan bring to Arsenal?
At just 23 years of age, Simakan has made 22 appearances in the Bundesliga this season so far, averaging a Sofascore match rating of 6.88.
Having been lauded as a "physical monster" by sports writer Robin Bairner, the versatile centre-back – who has primarily played on the right this term – has made a name for himself in Europe, hence sparking interest from the Premier League.
Arsenal have built an inspired young squad under Arteta, making the youngster a perfect fit for the Gunners based on his age and performance level alone.
The club are crying out for depth in defence, something that they have lacked in comparison to Manchester City.
The Spaniard has taken defensive pages out of Pep Guardiola's books and put them into practice since his move from the Etihad Stadium, take the positioning and use of Ben White and the use of Oleksandr Zinchenko as an inverted full-back as two clear examples.
Unlike Arsenal, City have a wave of talent in their ranks in all areas of the pitch and are heavily praised for their bench options being at the calibre of starters, an area that the Gunners must replicate should they wish to push on from this season.
A signing like Simakan could present Arsenal with their own Nathan Ake – a player that began as a squad option for Guardiola and graduated into the first-team at the rotation of Aymeric Laporte. He has been deployed as a left-back and a centre-back throughout the season as City look set to clinch a third successive league title.
The young Frenchman poses a lot of similarities to the Dutchman in his game, and even betters the City man, making 2.75 clearances per 90 compared to Ake's 2.09, and winning 2.26 aerials per 90 to his 1.85, as per FBref.
While the positions of both Gabriel Magalhaes and Saliba look concrete in Arsenal's backline next term, the versatile colossus could provide necessary defensive options and competitions for the duo ahead of next season.
It's depth that could take Arteta's plans with the team to the next level, and allow him to once more emulate a part of his time at City at the Emirates as they look to go one better in 2024.
