Arsenal are still pondering the absence of William Saliba and have a number of options available to them.
They could fill the gap from within their ranks even though it may not yield the same results as the partnership between Gabriel and his French counterpart.
Alternatively they could buy additional cover which would make sense to cover either through injury and the latest defender to gab attention is Jacobo Ramon (21) Como.
Chelsea have looked at a possible deal with Arsenal looking on while assessing their own position
but an agreement would be extremely difficult to achieve, mainly due to the fact that Real Madrid are part owners and any deal would have to factor in a 50% sell on fee.
They also have a buy back clause in place which pretty much makes Como redundant in any transfer process apart from constantly checking in with the Spanish giants.
It doesn’t matter that Ramon is a tall, strong, technically gifted, progressive defender.
A deal that has to incorporate two clubs, an agent and possibly an intermediary tends to close a door on a purchase rather quickly.
That said it’s no wonder he’s linked with Premier League clubs because of what he has in his locker.
At around 6’5 he is dominant in the air and has an undeniable physical presence.
He’s strong in interception and recovery situations and able to progress from the back, plus he is assured and accurate and able to pass over distance.
He’s is deceptively quick for his size and converts a defensive action into a counter with ease.
If we look further at his abilities it wouldn’t exactly be a giant leap to settle him in as a defensive midfielder for his robust approach to shield the back four or launch an attack from a turnover.
So, this being the case, you would imagine a long line of possible suitors but because of the complexities of a deal it means that it’s one for the legal and accounts departments.
No one is in a hurry for a conversation with either.
We don’t know what Real Madrids position is at the moment because no one has shown a strong enough conviction to break the deal down yet.
It could be something that takes weeks to navigate and even then it could be beyond resolution.
Clubs tend to like less complex negotiations and Arsenal are no different in that respect.
With Andrea Berta already involved in multiple discussions, he would be adverse to adding to his considerable workload with something akin to splitting the atom with a bread knife.
However, should he feel like he needs an additional challenge this move would be viewed by the fan base as a intuitive and sharp piece of business especially with €30*million price tag.
*Valuation by transfer
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