Arsenal face BIG competition for Mikel Arteta’s backup to Jurrien Timber

Arsenal have had a stellar summer so far. In fact, it’s almost impossible to criticise Mikel Arteta’s summer signings as all of them have been much needed and tactically sound. Further, they have tied their biggest assets to long-term contracts meaning they avoid losing them this summer.

If there is to be one concern from this summer, though, it’s the injury to new signing Jurrien Timber. Of course, this is no fault of Mikel Arteta’s, but he may be forced into making a new defensive signing after Timber became injured on his competitive debut against Nottingham Forest last weekend.

Arsenal face competition for Benjamin Pavard

The Gunners have been tipped to submit a bid for Bayern Munich and France defender Benjamin Pavard who ages at just 27 years old, meaning he is only just entering the prime stages of his career. Certainly, he would be a great backup for Timber since they play similar roles and are both incredibly versatile which helps with depth.

However, there is concern for Arsenal. According to Standard, Inter Milan are planning to hijack the signing, as they would also like the services of Pavard. Therefore, if Arsenal are serious about bringing him in, then they must act fast to avoid the competition from the Italian giants.

Arsenal’s transfer business has been dragged out this summer, with the obvious examples being Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber who took quite a while to sign. However, this is because the Gunners could afford to play for long game for these two signings since they were early deals.

For Pavard, there is limited time left. While there is no need for the Gunners to panic since they have more financial backing than Inter, they must be quick to avoid Bayern from being unhappy. Pavard is likely to be sold, but whether or not it’s to Arsenal depends on how efficient their negotiations are.

Do you think Arsenal will sign Benjamin Pavard?