Arsenal split between Vida and Ricardo Rodriguez as last summer signing

Bengaluru, August 7: The Gunners have been quite busy this transfer window, with Unai Emery certainly doing the things he was brought in to do. Arsenal have made six signings this summer and all of them are in contention for the first team. However, there’s still no stopping Unai Emery, who believes that one more player needs to be brought to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal have identified a defender as their last signing for the summer. Along with Stephan Lichtsteiner, Emery needs one more backup or contender in the defence. However, the Gunners are split over two players, Croatia’s star defender Domagoj Vida and AC Milan left-back Ricardo Rodriguez. Both players will roughly cost Arsenal around the area of £30 million.

Emery is facing a defensive crisis at full-back after Sead Kolasinac picked up a knee injury against Chelsea. Kolasinac is set for ten weeks out without any senior cover to step in to replace the defender. Calum Chambers too is set for a medical with Fulham urging Emery to act quick. Ainsley Maitland-Niles is set to step up to replace Kolasinac, but Emery would prefer an established and experienced left-back to fill in. Arsenal have made five signings this summer with Matteo Guendouzi, Bernd Leno, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Lucas Torreira all arriving in recent weeks.

Arsenal are also running to sign £25 million rated Croatian defender Domagoj Vida. Vida was one of the best defenders this World Cup, that led Croatia to their best ever finish at a FIFA World Cup finals campaign. However, Arsenal will have to sell Danny Welbeck or Shkodran Mustafi to fund that bid.

But the fact that Rodriguez had arrived at San Siro just one year back puts a roadblock in this deal. The former Wolfsburg player was one of the better players for AC Milan last season and Gennaro Gattuso doesn’t seem to let him go so easily.