Arsenal want to sign ‘complete’ wonderkid but there’s a problem, and it’s not his £88m asking price

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Although Arsenal made good progress when signing Riccardo Calafiori this summer, the club didn’t quite complete their defensive overhaul.

Both Jakub Kiwior and Kieran Tierney remained at the Emirates Stadium, two players who are seemingly surplus to requirements at Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta has recovered Jurrien Timber from injury this season, who has added a new dimension to his backline, just as was expected a year ago.

Of course, with all these new options, it also wouldn’t be a surprise if Oleksandr Zinchenko left N5 in the near future.

But if Arsenal do move all of Kiwior, Tierney and Zinchenko on over the season, they’ll undoubtedly need to add at least one new profile to Arteta’s squad.

Arsenal could go toe-to-toe with Real Madrid for Vitor Reis

That being said, Arsenal are now showing interest in signing Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis according to The Athletic.

The 18-year-old wonderkid has been hailed as a ‘complete’ talent over in Brazil, a defender who is also being courted by Real Madrid.

READ MORE: Who is Vitor Reis? Meet the Arsenal and Real Madrid transfer target tipped for the top

Both sides have made initial enquiries with the Brazilian side and the player’s agents regarding his availability, even if formal talks haven’t begun as of yet.

Reis recently signed a new deal with Palmeiras until the end of 2028, one that contains a €100m (£88m) release clause.

It’s currently unclear how much Palmeiras would demand for Reis, but the club definitely want to keep the defender until after the 2025 Club World Cup.

That being said, there could be an issue for Arsenal if they do pursue a move for Reis.

Unlike Real Madrid, who have an opening at centre-back, Arsenal are well-stocked in the area with Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba very settled in their duo at the back.

Therefore, Madrid can present a more appealing playing opportunity right now.

Ethan Nwaneri close to signing new Arsenal contract

Amid Arsenal’s plans for the future, the club are also making strides with the renewal of Ethan Nwaneri’s contract.

Nwaneri is close to agreeing a five-year deal at Arsenal, one he’ll sign once he turns 18 next year.

Considering Myles Lewis-Skelly is also making his first team breakthrough right now, the future’s looking bright for Arsenal.

And were Reis to end up joining the club from Palmeiras, there would be a clear core of players emerging to continue to take Arsenal forward in five or ten years time.

That being said, and looking ahead to the weekend, Arsenal fans have been having their say on Aaron Ramsdale ahead of his N5 return.