Arsenal have reportedly shown an interest in signing Atletico Madrid centre-back Marc Pubill, according to transfer news journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Gunners could do with adding more depth to their central defensive options this summer, with William Saliba notably set to miss an extended period through injury.

Posting on his YouTube channel, Romano has named some of Arsenal’s targets, and it seems Pubill is one of the names the north London giants have recently asked about.

However, it seems that Atletico are not at all keen to sell Pubill, so it looks like a tricky deal, with Romano suggesting that someone like Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa might be more realistic.

Fabrizio Romano on Arsenal looking into Marc Pubill transfer

Pubill, a World Cup winner with Spain this summer, could be a good option for Arsenal, but it seems they’ve currently failed to make much headway with this deal.

“Marc Pubill is one of the names on Arsenal’s list. Arsenal had some contact to understand about the price and to try and understand if there is a chance to sign Marc Pubill,” Romano said.

“But Atletico Madrid absolutely want to keep him. So at the moment, also Marc Pubill looks like a difficult target.”

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Marc Pubill’s history with Arsenal

If this move were to happen, it could be kind of awkward as Gabriel Jesus and Pubill came to blows after last season’s Champions League semi-final clash at the Emirates Stadium.

See below as something clearly must have been said as Jesus looked to throw a punch at Pubill after the end of the game…

Then again, they’re all professionals, so they could probably resolve their differences.

Bruno Guimaraes notably had a scrap or two with Arsenal’s players before joining them this summer, and he even acknowledged this in his conversations with Declan Rice.