With reports claiming Calum Chambers will be leaving Arsenal on loan this summer and Per Mertesacker clocking 32 in September, Arsenal seem to be working overtime to bring in a centre back to the club before the transfer window closes on September 3. To this end, the British daily, The Sun are reporting Bolton Wanderers’ Rob Holding is on his way to Arsenal.
Holding only recently extended his contract by one year with Bolton, who will be playing in the League One, the third tier of English football, next season. Tottenham were linked with his signing but it seems Arsenal have won the race for his signature if The Sun report is true. The highly-rated and very powerful ball playing centre back has also been linked with Celtic and Everton. Certainly there must be something about him that interests all the aforementioned clubs.
Despite Bolton’s relegation from the Championship last season, Rob Holding and Derik Osede managed to impress as Bolton’s stand-out performers. This explains why Holding is so wanted by the big Premier League clubs.
According to The Sun, Arsenal will this week table a £2.5million bid for the 20-year-old centre back, which they hope will be good enough to beat off competition for his signature.
If this report is true, it shows that Wenger does not rate Chambers. If Wenger is bringing in a centre back who is the same age as Chambers and sending the latter on loan, it means, and this is guesswork, that the Frenchman doesn’t see a future at the Emirates for the young England Under 21.
Or could it be that Wenger is fed up with Gabriel Paulista and knows the Brazilian will soon be leaving the Emirates and is in advance bringing in a centre back that will be his replacement? It could also mean Wenger is replacing Laurent Koscielny in advance. The former Lorient centre back will be 31 in September and could leave soon.
