Andrea Berta masterclass as Arsenal push to secure top Brazilian talent ahead of four rivals

Arsenal are reportedly locked in a battle with four other clubs in a bid to sign a major Brazilian defensive talent from Santos, who are looking to cash in on the player this summer.

Despite the Gunners building one of the best defensive units in European football under Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta, the club are always on the lookout for prospects who can play major roles in the future.

In terms of defensive balance, Arsenal have William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Ezir Konsa as options to use on the right-hand side of their backline, with Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie all operating from the left.

While Myles Lewis-Skelly can provide cover at left-back if needed, the England man has excelled playing in his favoured central midfield position since the end of last season, and Arteta does want to stiffle his development by chopping and changing roles going forward.

To that end, the Gunners are keen on adding another left-sided defensive option and, according to reports, have now set their sights on Santos star João Ananias.

ESPN Brazil reports that Berta and co. have expressed their interest in Ananias, having been ‘monitoring his development closely’.

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Arsenal facing fight to sign Santos star

The Gunners are not the only club showing interest in Ananias, however, with Premier League rivals Brentford also reported to be in the mix for his signature.

Further afield, Atletico Madrid are also keeping tabs on the player, while Benfica have already seen a deal fall through for the defender. However, it’s Besiktas who are showing the strongest interest in signing Ananias, with the Turkish outfit prepared to launch a formal proposal to purchase him before their summer transfer window closes on September 4.

The report adds that while Santos are in no rush to sell, given that Ananias remains under contract until 2030, financial issues mean that they could cash in on the player for around €7million (£6m).

The fact that the 19-year-old is a versatile left-footed central defender who has an excellent passing range makes him an ideal profile for Arteta and Berta, hence the strong Arsenal interest.

Indeed, Ananias is very highly thought of in his homeland, with the Brazil Under-20 international tipped to be a shrewd acquisition for the Gunners, if they can get a deal over the line for his signature.

Meanwhile, the hopes of securing the big-money signing of Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid before the window shuts appear to have taken another step forward.

Our sources can also reveal that the Gunners are also in the mix to sign a top Marseille attacker.