Arsenal are keen on securing the services of Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez, according to reports from the Sun.

With Per Mertesacker being ruled out for the long-term at the start of the season, Arsenal fans were crying out for the club to sign a world-class central defender this summer and although it took a bit longer than anticipated, the Gunners granted the supporters’ wishes by splashing the cash to sign Shkodran Mustafi.

Mustafi cost Arsenal around £35 million and while the fee can most certainly be considered a very high one, the German international already looks well worth the money judging by his performances so far this season.

With Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny marshalling the backline, Arsenal finally seem to boast a central defensive pairing which is capable of guiding the club to glory in the Premier League after a long time and things are certainly going well at the moment.

However, there has been speculation that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is still in the market to sign another high-profile central defender as Mertesacker seems to be at the twilight of his career at the Emirates Stadium, while Gabriel Paulista has not quite managed to fulfill the expectations.

Promising young talent

Now according to reports emerging from the Sun, claims have been made that Arsenal are considering a surprise swoop for Atletico Madrid sensation Jose Gimenez to further beef up their backline.

The report states that Wenger is currently exploring the option of signing Gimenez and that the 21-year-old, whose release clause is £54 million, could be keen on a move to Arsenal if the opportunity arises.

Do Arsenal need another expensive defender?

Gimenez has arguably managed to earn himself the reputation as one of the finest young defenders plying their trade in Europe at the moment and there is no doubting the fact that he would be a great addition to the Gunners’ side.

That said, Arsenal will probably have to splash in excess of £35-40 million in order to tempt Atletico to part with their prized asset and given the fact that the Gunners have already shelled out so much on Mustafi, it looks very unlikely that they will look to make another huge investment on a central defender – especially with the likes of Gabriel and Rob Holding already available.