Mikel Arteta Keen on Bringing Athletic Club Defender Unai Nunez to Arsenal

​Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is keen on bringing Athletic Club defender Unai Nunez to the Emirates Stadium, but he will face plenty of competition for his signature.

The 23-year-old has struggled to nail down a spot in Athletic's starting lineup this season, starting just 10 of his side's 27 league games before football was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus. 

Unai Nunez

However, the centre-back has attracted plenty of attention in more recent times, with West Ham and Bayern Munich said to be ​interested in triggering his €30m release clause​Deia now report that ​Arsenal head coach Arteta is on the lookout for defensive reinforcements, and he has Nunez on a list of potential targets.


The report claims that the Gunners are aware of their leaky defence and, as a result, they are looking to do something about it. Arteta is said to be keen on alternatives to his usual pairing of ​David Luiz and Sokratis, while Shkodran Mustafi has also continued to disappoint. 


Teenager William Saliba will return from his loan spell at Saint-Etienne in time for next season, but he remains an inexperienced option.


Athletic have been looking to tie Nunez down to a new deal for some time now, particularly because of his relatively low release clause, but they are still yet to agree anything. The report does allude to the fact that Yeray Álvarez, who has often started ahead of Nunez, signed a new long-term contract back in the summer of 2019. 

Unai Nunez

Nunez also recently changed his agent, fuelling speculation that he could seek a move away from the club. It remains to be seen whether he will depart, but there is plenty of interest in his services. As previously mentioned, ​Bayern​West Ham and Arsenal are keen, while ​Everton have also been keeping tabs on his current situation.


Source : 90min