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Wenger eyes first signing after tabling formal offer for defender

By on May 14, 2016

According to Goal, Arsenal have tabled a formal offer worth £750,000 for Bolton Wanderers defender Rob Holding as Arsene Wenger looks to kick off his summer business.

Holding has progressing through the youth ranks at Bolton having joined the club as a youngster and broke in to the first team at the start of this season.

The 20-year-old has excelled for a struggling Bolton side and was named as their Player of the Season in a campaign that’s seen them relegated to League One.

Rumours of a potential move to Arsenal intensified after Bolton’s caretaker boss confirmed he was asked by the clubs board to leave Holding out of their final game of the season after an unnamed club had opened talks over a deal.

The club in question was believed to be Arsenal and it now looks like we’ve formalised our interest as Goal claim we’ve submitted an offer worth £750,000 plus additional add ons.

That figure is a lot lower than the £2m-£5m we’ve seen in the papers in recent months, so I’m sure Bolton will hold out for a higher fee, but at least we’ve opened formal negotiations with the Trotters.

Holding’s main position is at centre-back but he’s also capable of playing at right-back so if we end up signing him, I think we’ll see him come in as a replacement for Calum Chambers with the youngster tipped to leave on loan this summer.

Goal claim that Everton and Bournemouth are also in the running for Holding’s signature and they may be able to offer more first team football so it could come down to whether the player want’s to join a ‘big’ club or play more regularly.

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