Arsenal chase Premier League's 'most consistent' defender as summer target

Atrayo Bhattacharya

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Arsenal chase Premier League's 'most consistent' defender as summer target image

Along with a prolific striker, Arsenal are also in search of a robust defender in the upcoming summer transfer window. 

Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta have a big job at hand as they aim to close the gap between them and the Premier League title by bringing in reinforcements in specific areas. 

The Gunners have a solid backline with plenty of able defenders, but injuries and form have been a concern for the North Londoners this season. Therefore, Arsenal are looking to bring in another center-back, who can provide strong competition for the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. 

Among the options, they have shortlisted, As per TBR Football, Brentford FC's rising star Nathan Collins is among the top targets for the Gunners this summer. 

Plying his trade for the Bees, Collins is a player who has flown under the radar despite putting in some solid performances in the Premier League this season. The 23-year-old also has a decent amount of experience in the English top flight, having featured for teams like Burnley, Wolves and now Brentford. 

A certain metric that has caught Arteta's eye is his durability as a defender. The Irishman hasn't missed a single minute of Premier League football this season. Only Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk shares this metric with him among outfield players.

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Why Arsenal chase Nathan Collins?

The Irish international is one of the most important players in Thomas Frank's system. As per FBref, Collins leads the Premier League in blocks this season with 48. He also holds the second place in headed clearances with 115, and third in clearances (191) and aerial duels won (101). 

The 23-year-old stands at 6-foot-3, but he has a stunning jump, which helps him win so many aerial duels. The only two players ahead of him in this metric in the Premier League are Newcastle's Dan Burn, who is 6-foot-7, while the other is Van Dijk, considered one of the best in the world in his position. 

TBR Football can confirm that Arsenal are closely monitoring Collins' situation but they haven't submitted any offer or held talks with the player or the club discussing a potential move.

The Leixlip native has featured in 36 Premier League appearances for the Bees, scoring two goals. He has also registered six clean sheets in the competitions. 

He was honoured for completing 100 Premier League appearances ahead of their 2-1 win over Bournemouth away from home. He is one of the eight players born in 2001 or later to reach the milestone. 

The 23-year-old has a contract till 2029, and therefore, it would take a big offer to lure him out of Brentford. But overall, he can be a solid option for Arteta as he aims to strengthen his backline heading into a new season. 

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Atrayo Bhattacharya

Atrayo Bhattacharya is a content producer for The Sporting News, working across English editions.