Should Arsenal secure his services for £16M?

It was reported yesterday that Arsenal are considering a £16 million move for Matija Nastasic after Manuel Pellegrini confirmed he’s willing to sell the Serbian centre-back if the right offer comes in.

The 21-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium since Pellegrini’s arrival last year, making just 13 Premier League appearances last season.

Pellegrini is now ready to let the former Fiorentina defender go after signing Eliaquim Mangala from Porto last week:

‘Matija needs to play. We already have important players here, with Demichelis, Kompany, Mangala and Boyata.

‘So we will see in the next few days what happens with Nastasic. He is an important player but he has offers and I think the best thing for him is to play.’

He finished off by saying:

‘We have until the end of August to see what kind of offers we get.’

Arsene Wenger is eager to add another centre-back to his squad after selling Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona for £15 million and has been linked with a number of players already to replace the Belgian.

But would a proposed £16 million move for Nastastic be a wise one to take?

I do like the idea of Nastastic at Arsenal, as I think he is a good defender with potential. In addition, he already has Premier League experience and knows what is required to play in the English game.

However, £16 million is a lot of money to part with for a player who cannot get into the City line-up these days.

I believe there are better options out there. We are not in a rush to sign a Vermaelen replacement, and the right player and deal will pop up before the summer transfer window closes – that I am sure of.

Personally, I would rather Wenger get his hands on Greek international Kostas Manolas than Nastasic.

If Wenger wants to secure the services of Nastasic then he will have to fend off Juventus and Roma, who are both believed to be interested in the defender as well.