2 journalists confirm strong Arsenal interest in RB Leipzig 23yo | OneFootball

Arsenal are reportedly showing strong interest in RB Leipzig’s Mohamed Simakan, despite the defender’s recent contract extension.

Ed Aarons of The Guardian reports that Arsenal are showing strong interest in RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan, ahead of the summer transfer window.

Fabrizio Romano confirms that Arsenal have sent scouts to follow the player on multiple occasions, and Simakan is “appreciated” by the club. But there’s nothing advanced or imminent at this stage.

Simakan has split his time between centre-back and right-back this season with Leipzig, making 34 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing eight assists.

The shift out to right-back this season wasn’t unprecedented for the 23-year-old, who had also played out on the right at times in his early days at RC Strasbourg.

The flexibility could make him a good fit for Arsenal, whose current options at right-back are Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, both of whom can also operate as centre-backs.

Simakan’s 11 goals and assists this season also provide encouragement that he can play an important attacking role as well as defensive, when necessary.

The biggest obstacle to the signing is likely to be Simakan’s new contract, signed in December and lasting until 2027.

The Frenchman joined Leipzig from Strasbourg in 2021 for a fee of €15m, and with his new deal in place, they’ll presumably be looking for a significant increase on that amount.

Arsenal seem to be in the market for a defender this summer, with Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi and Leicester City right-back Timothy Castagne among those linked. But perhaps Simakan could provide useful cover for both positions at once.