Are Arsenal interested in Tyrone Mings?

Per David Ornstein’s podcast, Arsenal have expressed interest in and kicked the tires on Aston Villa centerback Tyrone Mings. With Villa looking likely to go down this season, the Premier League vultures are circling, ready to pick off talent as the Villans cut costs.

To be clear, they aren’t certain to be relegated. But they are in 19th place, a point behind Bournemouth and West Ham. 538’s Premier League predictions have them at 72% to go down.

Transfermarkt, which can be hit and miss with player valuations, has Mings valued right around £20M, which is what Aston Villa paid Bournemouth for him over the summer. That price tag might put him out of Arsenal’s reach, according to Ornstein. But his £25K-per-week wages are enticing. He’s 27-years old and signed through the end of the 2021-22 season.

He is left-footed, which up until Pablo Mari’s new, four-year contract, would have increased the likelihood of a move for him. But now, Mikel Arteta has his man — he wanted Mari at the club and he’s got him.

Arsenal also have William Saliba returning from loan for next season, and they just inked David Luiz to a one-year extension. The club looks relatively set at centerback, at least for next season. That said, Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding are rumored to be on the transfer block, and all of Mustafi, Sokratis, and Luiz are out of contract after next season. The stable is ready for rebuilding.

Could Arsenal still make a move for Mings? Absolutely. Would the club’s presumably limited resources be better spent elsewhere? Probably. £20M is no small sum. I’m also not sure Mings is the type of player Arsenal should be after right now. He’s a (maybe) above average Premier League centerback, who at 27, is right on the edge of “too old to make an impact once the rebuild is done” in North London. Arsenal should be after prospects who might hit big and proven difference-makers.

If Arsenal are sniffing around Aston Villa with the hope that they sell players to ease the financial burden of relegation, I can think of one player I would far prefer to Mings — Jack Grealish. He’s a proven difference-maker. Of course, Grealish would be much more expensive than Mings, and Arsenal would be facing a lot more competition for his services.