3. Virgil van Dijk – Celtic
There are several other defenders linked with Arsenal, most notably Loic Perrin, but I have opted for van Dijk as my final option. The Dutchman is tall, strong, quick and has the ability to contribute multiple goals from corners, which has been a weakness of Arsenal’s over the past couple of seasons. Perrin, whilst experienced, does not appear to have many outstanding qualities, and is 29 years of age, whereas van Dijk is far younger and thus has more potential to grow and develop as a player. He would no doubt be interested in a move should Wenger decide to make an offer, and it is debatable that van Dijk would be the best option of the three due to his physical stature, as well as his impressive performances for Celtic.
Of course, there are the inevitable risks attached to signing such a player. Having played in the Scottish League for the past couple of seasons, it is difficult to judge his defensive ability, as the quality of the players in such a league is of course not of a high standard. Additionally, he would not come cheap, with some newspapers claiming that Celtic would demand a fee in the region of £20m. If a reasonable fee could be negotiated, however, the signing of Virgil van Dijk could prove to be a shrewd one from Arsenal, as the Dutchman clearly has all the qualities required to succeed in the physical environment of the Premier League.
By Lucas Jones (Twitter: @LucasJones4)