Unai Nunez has been impressive for Athletic Bilbao in the limited opportunities he has received (Getty Images)
According to La Razon via Deia (h/t Daily Mail), Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has made Athletic Bilbao defender Unai Nunez his top target for the summer.
Young defender Nunez seems to have impressed Arteta, who is planning a defensive overhaul at Arsenal after the side’s poor display this season (h/t Daily Mail). Arsenal are going through one of their worst phases in recent times with the club sitting at a lowly ninth in the league at the moment.
Having conceded 36 goals from 28 league games, Arsenal have one of the worst defensive records among the top-ten sides in the league. The back-four has been so inconsistent that only Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka has faced more shots on target than their goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Also, injuries to players such as Rob Holding and Calum Chambers have been a major concern for Arteta, who has as many as four centre-backs in his squad. Their weak defence saw Arteta having to sign Spaniard Pablo Mari from Flamengo on loan to improve their performances for the upcoming fixtures.
However, Arteta needs to strengthen his defence further if they wish to climb the ladder next season. That said, Arsenal’s interests in Nunez makes complete sense. Nunez, meanwhile, has made an overall 18 appearances for Bilbao this season, with 12 of them coming in the league.
However, he had to wait until the second half of the season to nail down a starting place within the squad which has the likes of seasoned campaigners Inigo Martinez and Yeray Alvarez in it. Despite all that, Nunez has finally won his manager Gaizka Garitano’s faith and managed to incorporate himself into the three-man defence, which includes Martinez and Alvarez.
His ability to adapt to any defensive set-up makes Nunez a flexible option, which in turn could come in handy for Arteta. A graduate of the Athletic Bilbao academy, Nunez quickly rose through the ranks before making his senior team debut on August 2017.
Nunez became an instant hit making 33 appearances for Bilbao in the 2017/18 season. But the youngster has seen game-time reduce over the past couple of seasons.
However, he is still 23 and has plenty of time to improve. Moreover, Nunez’s arrival would add more confidence and vigour to an aged Arsenal defence that has players like Luiz and Sokratis, who are past their thirties.
With Arsenal’s defence clearly in need of a shake up, ushering in a young face such as Nunez seems a good option. The Spaniard would add much-needed depth to an area of concern for this Arsenal side. Considering his age and experience, he would be a good future investment for the club that has no young established defenders in its ranks
