It is being reported that Arsenal have reached an agreement with Spanish side Athetic Bilbao for the signing of highly rated central defender Aymeric Laporte. The deal would see the French under-21 star swap Spain for the Emirates in January for a fee believed to be £34 Million. Laporte enjoyed a stellar season last campaign making 35 appearances in La Liga and winning many plaudits from fans and pundits alike.
This is an encouraging sign that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger appears willing to spend in the January transfer window with many fans being disillusioned with the current transfer policy. Thomas Vermaelen, who left for Barcelona in the Summer, was never replaced and this has left Arsenal very light defensively. There have also been the unsurprising mass injuries that appear to go hand in hand with every campaign. Laurent Koscielny pulled out of France's training session today which will be a big worry for Wenger, who has already lost defenders Mathieu Debuchy and Nacho Monreal in recent weeks.
Laporte is a defender that will excite the Arsenal faithful, he plays with experience way ahead of his years and is known for his great positional sense which is something that the Arsenal back four has lacked in recent seasons. This will be yet another signal of intent by the club who have shown they are not worried about spending big when a certain player becomes available. Laporte along with Chambers would be a very smart signing and a great investment for the future of the club.