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Arsenal in fierce battle to sign Santos’ João Ananias

By on August 27, 2026

Arsenal are reportedly in a fierce battle over a deal to sign Santos defender João Ananias, as per ESPN Brazil.

Since taking charge at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta has made the Gunners one of the best defensive teams in Europe. On this foundation, the Spanish boss guided his team to become the Premier League champions last term.

Arsenal currently have William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White and Jurrien Timber as options to deploy on the right side of the defence. Following Saliba’s injury, Arteta has even purchased Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa.

On the other hand, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié are the options for the left side of the defence. Myles Lewis-Skelly can provide cover in the left back position if needed, but he has been displaying his best as a deep-lying playmaker in recent months.

However, it appears Arsenal have already started planning for the future, and ESPN Brazil report that they have expressed their interest in Ananias. They have been monitoring his development closely before making a potential swoop.

Apart from the Emirates club, Brentford and Atlético Madrid are keeping a close eye on him. SL Benfica came close to securing his services for a fee of around €7m, but a deal eventually fell through.

The report state that Besiktas are showing the strongest interest in signing him and are prepared to launch a formal proposal to purchase him this summer.

Ananias to Arsenal

With the player’s existing deal set to run until 2030, Santos aren’t in any rush to sell him but are in financial difficulties. Therefore, they are prepared to cash-in on him and want at least €7m[£6m].

Ananias is a left-footed centre-back. He is comfortable playing out from the back, has an eye for long-range passing and is efficient in defensive contributions.

The Brazilian is a highly talented player and possesses the potential to reach the top. Therefore, he might be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal with a view to the long-term future should they purchase him.

However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services in this window.