Arsenal FC is planning a £20 million summer swoop for the team captain of fellow English Premier League side Swansea City, Ashley Williams, as Arsene Wenger searches for his ideal team leader in the offseason.
The Daily Express reported that Wenger, now 66 years old and in his 20th season as manager of the Gunners, "sees" Williams as "the hard man and leader" Arsenal needs to beef up a mercurial defense "which was virtually bullied out of the Premier League title race this season".
After first choice center back Mats Hummels decided to move to Bayern Munich from Borussia Dortmund, Wenger is now said to be looking at the 31-year-old Williams, who has been with the Swans since March 2008, appearing in 346 games in nine seasons for the club, Caught Offside noted.
Also the Wales national football team captain, Williams led Swansea's rise from the Football League One, the third tier league in the English football system, to the Football League Championship, and finally to the Premier League in the 2011-2012 season.
Rumors are out that because of the Englishman's advancing age and total appearances of 519 in his senior career, the Swans are ready to let go of their team leader and start a complete overhaul of their roster. Swansea finished this season at the 12th spot of the English top flight table and had been unbeaten in four of their last six matches.
Meanwhile, Arsenal overtook Tottenham Hotspur FC as the runners-up of this season after crushing cellar-dwellers Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The Spurs lost to Newcastle United, 1-5, in their season finale which allowed the Gunners to climb one spot up in the standings.
Both are guaranteed of a UEFA Champions League participation next season, though, which could be one of the reasons why Williams may consider the transfer this summer.
Arsenal may have claimed the runner-up spot, but their team defense is much less to be desired in the recently concluded term as they have allowed 36 goals to be scored against them in 38 games. Sixth-placed team Manchester United has only allowed 34 goals to pierce their net while Tottenham had 35.