Report: Dortmund now tell Arsenal they can sign ‘complete’ player from them for £21m

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Arsenal have been offered the opportunity to sign Borussia Dortmund central defender Manuel Akanji this summer.

Gazzetta Dello Sport claim that Dortmund are determined to move Akanji on before the window closes and Arsenal have a long-term interest.

Arsenal have just missed out on the signing of a central defender in the shape of Lisandro Martinez, who is bound for Manchester United.

They seem to have moved onto Oleksandr Zinchenko, who can play at left-back, but not in the heart of Mikel Arteta’s defence.

Arsenal offered Akanji

The report says Dortmund have already told the defender they will no longer be using him in this summer’s pre-season friendlies.

They say that there has been a breakdown in the relationship between the player and his club, and a move is how Dortmund want to solve that.

That is why defender has already been ‘offered’ to clubs in England, including Arsenal, but there is no indication that they are willing to buy him right now.

Dortmund are asking for €20 – 25 million (£17 – £21.2 million) but Akanji’s contract expires next summer, so would anyone pay up now?

Akanji has made over 150 appearances in four-and-a-half years in Dortmund and Michael Zorc has described him as a “pretty complete” defender.

And the Bundesliga website has compared his style of play to that of Vincent Kompany, who Arteta worked with at Manchester City.

However, when a player has a recent history of injury, it’s understandable that clubs may be hesitant to sign him, especially at that kind of fee, when he is available for free in a year.