Manchester City's Phil Foden has already given Marc Guehi a glowing endorsement amidst the swirling rumours that Arsenal and Liverpool are keen on snapping up the player.
While there's buzzing speculation that Bologna's Riccardo Calafiori is on the verge of becoming Arsenal's first signing of the summer, whispers of interest in Crystal Palace's Guehi have also surfaced. Both Calafiori and Guehi turned heads with their performances at Euro 2024, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them both donning the red and white at the Emirates Stadium in the coming season.
Guehi, in particular, has been the talk of the town after his stellar displays helped England to a second-place finish in Germany, marking him out as one of the unexpected standouts of the tournament. The 24 year old's stock was already on the rise following an impressive stint in south London, but his exploits over the summer have seemingly put him on the radar of the Premier League's elite.
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The Eagles have slapped a $90million price tag on their defensive ace, but Arsenal could potentially shave off as much as $38m from that figure by offering Eddie Nketiah as part of the deal. There's chatter about a potential player-plus-cash bid being on the cards, though it's still up in the air whether the Gunners will go down this route.
Foden recently lauded the defender amid talks that Arsenal have entered discussions for Guehi. "'He [Guehi] has been a leader," he commented on the official England team's YouTube channel. "I know him well from obviously playing with him and he's not fazed by anything. I feel like he has come into the team and shown his qualities."
England felt the absence of Guehi in defence as they rallied to defeat Switzerland on penalties in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals. The Palace star arguably had the most significant development of any Three Lions player in Germany, enhancing his international reputation with confidence.
Mikel Arteta was lucky last season when first-choice centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba remained fit for virtually the entire campaign, narrowly missing out on the Premier League title. The addition of Italian star Calafiori will strengthen the central defence and left-back positions, while a fully fit Jurrien Timber will enhance depth in those areas.
A potential move for Guehi would certainly heat up the competition, particularly as the player wouldn't want to give up his starting position. As Foden himself has noted, the player possesses the leadership qualities that are often hard to come by.
So far this summer, Arsenal's only senior acquisition remains David Raya, whose move has been made permanent following his loan spell from Brentford last season. The Gunners have also confirmed the signing of young talent Tommy Setford from Ajax, while Danish prospect Lucas Nygaard has joined from Nordsjaelland.
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