According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal have reignited their interested in signing centre-back Ruben Dias. The Gunners first considered the 22-year-old at the start of the summer window. They are now once again contemplating making a move for the Benfica defender.
Current club captain Laurent Koscielny recently refused to join the Arsenal squad on their pre-season tour of the USA. The 33-year-old is seeking to engineer a move away from the Emirates Stadium, and his actions may have made his future in Emery’s squad untenable. With the Frenchman looking likely to leave, Arsenal’s need to sign a new centre-back has become even more urgent.
This turn of events could be the driving factor behind the north London outfit reviving their interest in Dias. The Portuguese defender would be a good fit for the Gunners. Despite his young age, he has established himself as a regular starter for Benfica. The 10-cap Portugal international has impressed with his maturity at the back.
He also has plenty of potential to improve further. However, a deal for Dias would not come cheap. According to the aforementioned report, he has a release clause of around £54 million. This would all but entirely deplete the Gunners’ meagre transfer funds.
Emery certainly finds himself in a tough spot this summer. However, if he can engineer a deal for Dias then he’d be an ideal replacement for the unsettled Koscielny.