Arsenal launch £12.6m bid for tall Belgian centre-back

Arsenal have reportedly launched a £12.6 million bid for Club Brugge centre-back Bjorn Engels, according to Voetbalkrant via Arsenal Station.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is looking to sign a new centre-back following the news that Per Mertesacker will be out for several months after suffering a knee injury last week, and the north London outfit have already been linked with a number of new defenders, including a £21 million move for Valencia’s Shkodran Mustafi.

However, it appears as though the French manager is keeping his options open and he is understood to have submitted a €15m offer for Engels – who is 6ft 4in tall – although the 21-year-old doesn’t have the experience that Wenger had previously said he was looking for.

Engels has made 69 appearances in all competitions for Club Brugge, and has shown that he is a threat at the other end of the pitch too by scoring 10 goals in those outings.