According to a recent report by Football.London, Arsenal boss Unai Emery was present in the Valencia versus Getafe game at the Mestalla Stadium last weekend.
The same source has revealed that the Gunners manager was keeping a close eye on Getafe defender Djene Dakonam and his performance during the match. Football.London has also stated that the Togo international has a £30m release clause in his contract and Barcelona are also believed to be interested in him.
The 27-year-old joined the La Liga outfit from Sint-Truiden in the summer of 2017 and has enjoyed a brilliant campaign at Coliseum Alfonso Pérez this season. The Togolese talent has put in a string of commanding displays for the Spanish outfit during this campaign. His incredible defensive contributions have helped Getafe climb to the 4th spot of the La Liga table.
The fact that Getafe has a better defensive record than both Real Madrid and Barcelona speaks volumes on how well Djene has performed at the centre of José Bordalás’s backline. The Togolese defensive ace has featured in 30 matches for Getafe this term across all competitions and has made an average of 1.9 tackles and 2.1 interceptions per game.
He has also managed to secure 34 international caps for the Togolese national side thus far. The Getafe defender is precisely the type of player who can thrive under Unai Emery if given an opportunity to prove his worth at the Emirates Stadium next season.
The addition of Djene will undoubtedly bolster Emery’s defensive options at the North London club. The Gunners have currently got the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding and Konstantinos Mavropanos competing for a starting berth in Emery’s starting XI. However, one could argue that the Togo international would be an upgrade over any of them.
At 27, Djene is currently playing at his prime and has his best years ahead of him which the London giants could look to benefit from over the next few years. The Getafe defender primarily operates as a centre-back but is equally capable of playing as a right-back which makes him an ideal fit for Emery’s team. Hence, the Premier League side should do everything they can to bring him to England next summer.
