According to a recent report by Sky Sports, Arsenal will be joined by AC Milan in the hunt to acquire the services of Jerome Boateng from Bayern Munich during this ongoing January transfer window. It is believed the Gunners are showing interest on the Bundesliga defender and have already enquired about his availability this month with the Bavarian giants willing to let him go if they receive an offer of approximately £12.8m (via Sky Sports).
Boateng’s Underwhelming Season At The Allianz Arena Thus Far
Boateng has endured a difficult season for Hans-Dieter Flick’s side as he has failed to perform at a high level for them so far. The Berlin-born defensive ace has featured in 15 matches for the German giants this term, earning a total of 1050 minutes of playing time in the process. He has averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 2.7 clearances per game in the Bundesliga (stats via whoscored).
Since joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2011, the German centre-back has gone on to make a total of 301 appearances for the Bavarian outfit, registering eight goals and 22 assists in the process. Boateng is also vastly experienced at the international level, having earned 79 senior caps for the German national side and has one goal for his nation to his name.
What Does The German International Bring To The Table?
There have been signs this season that suggest that the 31-year-old is past his best. He has lost a yard of pace from his game and has struggled to make recovering runs at the back when his team has been left exposed on the counter.
However, when he is playing with confidence, Boateng can still do a decent job in defence as he excels at making well-timed tackles to win possession back for his side. Furthermore, he is an experienced centre-back who knows what it takes to be a serial winner at the highest level.
Is Boateng Worth The Chase?
Mikel Arteta already has two experienced defenders in Sokratis Papastathopoulos and David Luiz in his first-team. So it makes no sense for Arsenal to opt for another defensive veteran when they need to focus on recruiting a centre-back who is currently at the top of his game.
The Gunners will be better off giving up on the chase for Boateng. The North London giants cannot afford to keep settling for lesser players if they intend to get back to fighting with the elites of European football in the coming years.
