Arsenal’s hope of signing central defender Ashley Williams from Swansea has hit a roadblock, with the Gunners reluctant to match his £10 million price tag.
Arsene Wenger is reportedly a keen admirer of the 28-year-old’s talent and the Gunners asked about his availability during the January transfer window.
According to reports from The Sun, the defender has also been tracked by the new Everton manager Roberto Martinez.
Swansea admits that there is a high chance the player might leave the club in the summer, but the Welsh club will not settle for any penny less than the quoted price.
Meanwhile, Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny continues to draw attention from top European clubs. Serie A outfit Napoli joins Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the race to sign him, though it has been reported couple of days back that the Frenchman would snub all offers to commit his future at Arsenal.
Defender Bacary Sagna, who is entering the final season of his current contract and is looking for an extension, believes that Arsenal could be genuine contenders for the title again in the coming season. Sagna was quoted in the Daily Mail:
“I truly believe we can be champions or else I wouldn’t be playing football. I would have gone already. I truly believe we can succeed with the team we have.
“What we managed last season can be done only by a true team with a great team spirit. I believe we can achieve a lot more.”
Daily Mail are also reporting that the Gunners are leading the chase for the highly rated Real Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi and could lodge a bid for the £10 million rated Spain U21 international.
La Liga giants Real Madrid have also registered their interest in the defensive midfielder, who was instrumental in guiding the Basque club to Champions League qualification spot last season.
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