Arsenal plot a late move for AC Milan's Ricardo Rodriguez to cope with injury crisis

Bengaluru, August 6: Arsenal are preparing a late bid for AC Milan defender Ricardo Rodriguez with both their left backs Sead Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal injured.

The Premier League season is going to begin in a couple of days and the Gunners are grappling with a crisis in the defence department ahead of their opening match against Manchester City. Their Bosnian left back, Sead Kolasinac, picked up a knee injury during the pre-season game against Chelsea in the International Champions Cup and will be out of action for at least two months.

The other senior left back on their roster, Nacho Monreal, who was deployed as a centre-back by former Gunners coach Arsene Wenger in the previous season, is also out with a knee injury. Monreal has not featured in any pre-season match for Arsenal and might not make it to the squad for the EPL opener against Manchester City on Sunday.

Should Emery decide to sign a left-back to potentially replace Monreal, then the name I’m being told is Ricardo Rodriguez from AC #Milan. Would cost #Arsenal £30m, however Milan wants to keep the player + LB not the no 1 priority for Emery. #afc

— AFC Insider (@AfcFrom) August 5, 2018

Arsenal coach Unai Emery is forced to depend on youngster Ainsley Maitland Niles to handle the duties for a couple of weeks in the left wing.

However, the club management is also preparing a late move for AC Milan left back Ricardo Rodriguez before the transfer window of English Premier League closes on Thursday.

Arsenal have already signed five players in this summer transfer window. The arrivals of Bernd Leno, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Lucas Torreira, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi have surely strengthened the defensive unit of Arsenal. However, they are reeling from a crisis due to those injuries to their left backs.

Arsenal contacted Ricardo Rodriguez in the last hours due to the injuries of Monreal and Kolasinac, but Rodriguez made it known that he is happy at Milan and wants to stay, especially with Elliott’s takeover and their great project. [Mirror] pic.twitter.com/Gfx9l8Bbie

— Milan Eye (@MilanEye) August 6, 2018

In these circumstances, Arsenal's club management might have to move quickly to acquire Rodriguez before Thursday. One obstacle is that AC Milan could be reluctant to sell Rodriguez so late in the transfer window. It leaves them less time to find a suitable replacement of the 25-year-old Swiss left back, who is valued around £30 million.

Rodriguez started his career at FC Zurich and moved to Vfl Wolsburg in the winter transfer window of the 2011-12 season on a deal worth £7.5 million.

After spending about five years in the Bundesliga, Rodriguez moved to AC Milan at the beginning of the 2017/18 season.