- Besiktas want Holding
- Made a €2.5m bid
- Offers falls short of Arsenal's valuation
WHAT HAPPENED? According to The Athletic, the Turkish outfit's offer falls significantly short of the club's valuation of the player. Holding, who joined Arsenal from Bolton in 2016, is contracted with the North London club until 2024, with an option for a further year.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The centre back stepped in at the heart of Arsenal's defence in the latter phases of the season following an injury to William Saliba and went on to make 14 Premier League appearances. However, he's generally seen as a serious downgrade from Sailba, and the English defender failed to make the cut in the first friendly of the 2023-24 against Nurnberg, which has cast doubts on his future at the Emirates.
AND WHAT'S MORE: Meanwhile, Besiktas are close to signing Daniel Amartey on a three-year deal, with the former Leicester City defender currently a free agent after his contract with the Foxes expired in June. It shows that the Black Eagles are eager to add defensive reinforcements ahead of the new season after conceding 36 goals in as many leauge matches last campaign.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Holding will continue to be a part of the team's pre-season preparations and will hope to get an opportunity to impress Mikel Arteta when Arsenal face MLS All-Stars on July 20 at Audi Field.