According to a recent report by the Daily Mail, Arsenal are said to be keeping tabs on Athletic Bilbao’s Spanish international centre-half Unai Nunez, with a view of possibly signing him in the future. It has been reported that he has a £30m release clause embedded in his contract that the Gunners could activate if transfer negotiations don’t go as planned. It has been suggested that Premier League rivals Everton are also keen on his signature, meaning that a transfer battle could soon emerge.
Who Is Unai Nunez?
Born in the coastal city of Portugalete, just outside Bilbao, Unai Nunez began his playing career with the youth division of Athletic Bilbao. He was given a loan spell away from his hometown in 2015 when he went on to play for Basconia in the autonomous community of the Basque County. Still only 22-years-old, the youngster has the potential to develop into a wonderful footballer, if he’s given the right guidance and training from day one.
He was a part of the Spanish U-21 side that went on to win the European Championship earlier this year. His performances showcased an added level of maturity and collectedness which certainly didn’t go unnoticed in the football world. After all this, he seems to be finding it hard to get too much playing time at Bilbao this season, meaning that a move away could be the right move for his future.
What Does Emery See In Him?
Although the fact that they share the same first name might’ve played a part in it, there’s no questioning regarding whether he can defend. The 22-year-old is well over 6 feet tall, making him quite the presence in the air, in either an attacking or defensive sense. Considering that he’s still young, he would obviously offer a lot more energy and enthusiasm in the defensive third that their current first-choice David Luiz.
His speed and reactions are two other aspects of his game that are worth noting. Adept at reading the play and making key interceptions, his insane ability to be in the right spot to deal with set-pieces has set him apart in the Spanish camp. All this hard work was rewarded with a first international cap by the national side when he came on in Sergio Ramos’ stead in their 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands just over a month ago.
Gunners Must Beat Everton To Sign The Spaniard
Unai Nunez has the makings of a top defender in the years to come and considering the state of the Arsenal back-line, they should be willing to accept help in any form. Although David Luiz hasn’t been all that bad since making the move from Chelsea, there is always the thought that he is a ticking time-bomb, waiting to make an error that could disrupt their whole season.
Sokratis has been a consistent ray of positivity in what has, for a few years now, been a miserable-looking Arsenal defence. Unai Nunez has the quality to come to the Premier League and make a name for himself. With the infrastructure and resources that he’ll have at his disposal at the Emirates Stadium, expect to see his name a lot more in the near future.
