Mikel Arteta can immediately sign Premier League defender with more clean sheets than Gabriel Magalhaes this season

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Arsenal are preparing for a busy summer as they look to strengthen their squad in order to finally win that elusive Premier League title.

Arsenal’s injury crisis this season has played a huge part in their failure to keep pace with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League but the Gunners first-team squad has also come up short in terms of depth and quality.

Andrea Berta is set to be the new sporting director and will immediately work with Mikel Arteta on plans to improve the squad, with the attacking options being the main priority.

Arteta has told Berta to sign Nico Williams as well as one of Alexander Isak or Benjamin Sesko in the centre forward position. However, Arsenal will still need to add some freshness to their defensive options too.

READ MORE: Arsenal told they will have to sell the Emirates Stadium if they want to sign ‘incredible’ player this summer

Mikel Arteta should sign Ola Aina from Nottingham Forest

Berta knows the five players he needs to sell at Arsenal and if those departures are successful, it will leave Arsenal a little short of defensive options.

Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko have both occupied the left back role in recent seasons, whilst Takehiro Tomiyasu has played all along the back line.

With much of Arsenal’s budget expected to be splashed on the forward areas, Ola Aina of Nottingham Forest would represent a shrewd signing from the Gunners with his contract expiring in June 2025.

Aina has been magnificent for Forest this season having made 29 appearances in the league and has already managed an incredible 11 clean sheets, one more than Arsenal stalwart Gabriel Magalhaes.

How Aina compares with Arsenal’s current full backs

The versatility and Premier League experience of Aina should attract Arteta to his signature, the Nigerian international is adept at playing both right and left back.

Those positions have been taken up by Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly for most of the season at the Emirates Stadium and Aina would be more than comfortable making the step up to Arsenal’s squad.

Aina has more than matched up with the Arsenal duo in terms of his defensive work this season and clean sheets and solidity has been a big part of Nottingham Forest’s success this campaign.

If he were to sign for the Gunners, Aina would have to improve in possession in Arteta’s system but that can be managed and for a free transfer, there really is not much better value in the market right now.