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Arsenal now eyeing move for Rangers centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez

By on April 15, 2026

Arsenal have expressed interest in signing Rangers centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez next summer, according to Ekrem Konur.

After completing a move from EFL League One outfit Peterborough United to Rangers last summer for a relatively modest fee, the 24-year-old is now widely viewed as a bargain signing.

Although he arrived with significant promise and expectations, opportunities were initially limited, with the imposing centre-back starting just one of the club’s opening 11 Scottish Premiership matches and being left out of six matchday squads during that period.

Over time, however, Fernandez has firmly established himself as Danny Röhl’s preferred option at centre-back, emerging as one of the standout centre-backs in the league, which earned him his first call-up to Nigeria’s Super Eagles for the March international friendlies, where he netted on his debut.

Contributing at both ends of the pitch, he has scored six goals while also winning 69% of his defensive duels, performances that have naturally attracted interest from several clubs, including Everton.

Having impressed with his performances for Rangers this season, Konur reports that Fernandez has piqued the interest of several clubs across Europe.

Fierce battle to sign Fernandez

One of the clubs interested in the 24-year-old is Arsenal, according to the journalist who claims that the Premier League giants have expressed interest in signing the towering 6ft 5in centre-back.

Although the report does not reveal if Rangers are open to his departure, the Gunners will need to submit a significant offer well above his £7m Transfermarkt valuation to convince the 55-time Scottish champions to sell their prized asset, especially with three years still left on his contract.

However, Arsenal face stern competition for Fernandez’s signature, as Konur adds that Premier League rivals Chelsea and other clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax and Feyenoord, have also expressed interest in the Nigerian international.

Arguably boasting the strongest defensive depth in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta strengthened his backline further last summer with the arrivals of Christhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié, adding to an already established group that includes William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Ben White, and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Given that depth, although Fernandez represents an exciting prospect for the future, securing consistent first-team opportunities would prove difficult, particularly with no immediate departures expected among the current defensive options.