"Arsenal and Napoli showed interest" - Ajax star claims Mikel Arteta wanted to sign him this summer

Ajax's new signing Josip Sutalo has said that Arsenal and Napoli made attempts to sign him in the summer transfer market. Sutalo eventually ended up making a move to the Eredivisie on deadline day.

A highly-touted prospect, the 23-year-old Croatia international was closely watched by the Gunners' scouts during his time at Dinamo Zagreb, as per the Evening Standard.

Speaking about the interest of top European clubs, Sutalo told Telegraaf (via HITC):

“I just thought ‘wow’! I felt honored and knew immediately that I wanted to come to Amsterdam. I reached an agreement with Ajax very quickly about a contract until the summer of 2028.”

Sutalo arrived at Ajax as a replacement for Jurrien Timber, who was signed by Arsenal in a €40 million move. Further speaking about his move and the interest of other European clubs, Sutalo said:

“(I moved to the Netherlands) because Ajax was the most decisive of all. Arsenal and Napoli showed interest, but did not come up with a concrete proposal. Ajax did, so my choice was quickly made in that regard.”

Sutalo is a player of many qualities as apart from his defending skills, the 23-year-old is also an adept passer of the ball. Speaking of Sutalo's qualities, Ajax's sporting director Sven Mislintat said:

“A great player for Ajax. A Premier League club also wanted him, but Josip was clear; he wanted to go to Ajax. He’s never uncomfortable on the ball. He’s always calm. Definitely a complete centre-back. He can defend. He is fast, two-footed, can build up play and can play at both the left and the right. If you look at the whole package, if he is not an Ajax player, who is?”

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Arsenal have a solid pool of defenders in their ranks

While Arsenal didn't make a move for Josip Sutalo in the summer transfer window, they brought in Jurrien Timber from Ajx for a fee of £40 million plus add-ons.

Timber, though, suffered an ACL injury and is expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future. Despite that, Mikel Arteta's side boast players like Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and Jakub Kiwior as their central defending options. Rob Holding has left the club join Crystal Palace.

Arsenal are back in the UEFA Champions League this season and the team are keen on bettering their second-place finish in the Premier League last season. Hence, a rich pool of talented players is quite necessary for Arteta's side.