Thursday Morning Deal- Mikel Arteta has requested that Arsenal sign £26M “beast” defender who is faster than Vinicius Jr- Imagine have a defender faster than Vini Jr in your team!
Arsenal are now reportedly keeping an eye on Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven ahead of a potential move this summer.
The Gunners mean business in this transfer window. They have already signed Kai Havertz, while deals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber are reportedly getting closer.
Now, Arsenal are apparently looking for another defender, and Football Transfers revealed this week that Van de Ven is a target for Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal and Tottenham target Micky van de Ven is faster than Vinicius Jr
Arsenal‘s downfall last season was mainly due to William Saliba’s injury.
The Frenchman’s season ended in the game against Sporting Lisbon back in March, and Arsenal just fell apart a month later, thus handing Manchester City the Premier League title.
Arteta wants to make sure they have enough backup in defence ahead of the start of the new season, and the report claims Micky van de Ven is a player he is keen to sign. However, Tottenham are said to be further in the race to get him.
Irrespective of where he ends up, the one thing to remember about Van de Ven is that he’s absolutely rapid. The defender clocked a top speed of 35.97 km/h last season (Bundesliga.com), which is incredible for a centre-back.
That speed blows the likes of Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr (35.4 km/h) and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi (35 km/h) out of the water (SpeedsDB).
Imagine having a centre-back who’s faster than Vinicius Jr in your side!
TBR View:
Arsenal don’t really lack pace at the back – Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior are all pretty fast for their size and the position they play in.
Tottenham, however, could do with some speed.
Clement Lenglet is now gone, while Eric Dier is known for a lot of things but pace isn’t one of them. A player like Van de Ven could give Spurs the boost they need and allow Ange Postecoglou to use a high line against the rapid forwards in the Premier League.
Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung claimed this month that Van de Ven will cost at least £26 million this summer.
