Gunners show ‘significant’ interest in upgrade at right-back who’s outscoring Timber

Arsenal are showing “significant” interest in an upgrade at right-back, according to a reliable source, with their preferred option ahead of Jurrien Timber this season.

The Gunners team has evolved enormously since Mikel Arteta took charge. They were struggling to get into the top four when he arrived and are now on the verge of winning the title.

Some players who were important in the beginning have disappeared today. Only five players feature more often under Arteta than Ben White, but in recent seasons he has not had the same role as he once did.

White has only started five times in the Premier League this season and our friends at Team discussion learned, thanks to initiate Graeme Bailey, that Arsenal are ready to sanction the sale of the Englishman.

Indeed, they have now stepped up their search for a new right-back to improve the Whites, with several targets in sight.

Tino Livramento, Nnamdi Collins and Vanderson are all said to be on the list, but it is Roma’s Wesley Franca who has emerged as the most interesting target.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in the 22-year-old’s athletic qualities, offensive performance and defensive maturity. They therefore show “significant” interest in Franca, who also has admirers at Everton, Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle and Real Madrid.

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Although he is seen as a replacement for White, the Brazilian also outperforms Arsenal right-back Timber, at least in terms of goals.

Timber started the Premier League season in fine form, scoring twice and assisting once against Leeds in the second game of the season, but he has since scored just once in the league, taking his tally to three goals.

In Serie A, Franca has four goals, even though he doesn’t play in the same position as Timber.

Although he has sometimes played right back, the Brazilian is more often deployed as a winger, sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left.

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Should he head to the Emirates, Arsenal would have the option to play at right-back, left-back and even in a more advanced role if they needed to.

Much of their current defensive corps can play different positions, with Timber, White, Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori all capable of playing multiple positions.

Franca is expected to be in high demand this summer and Arsenal will be hoping this is the team to sign him.

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