Arsenal improve bid for highly-rated defender

Arsenal have not only joined the chase, along with rumored suitors Tottenham, Everton, and Bournemouth, for Bolton Wanderers' England U21 defender Rob Holding, but have already had an initial bid turned down and are preparing a second bid.

The Daily Mail, among others, are reporting the Gunners had a £750,000 bid denied by Bolton - who were just related to League One following the conclusion of last season - but are determined to win the race to Holding's services by coming back a second time with £1.2 million in full. The bid is rumored to contain performance clauses that could see the final figure go to £1.5 million.

With Arsenal chasing more established defenders this summer in an attempt to maintain their foothold among an ever-competitive league, this move makes sense from the standpoint that they will be able to loan Holding out were they to land him, knowing they can be patient with his growth and development. Perhaps in the days of the club's past this would be the kind of shrewd, cost-efficient move that could pay off down the line but whose production would be counted on immediately, Arsenal can now allow a player like Holding the time to become the player they envision he might one day become.

Like all rumors at this early stage, there is more to come. Stay tuned to these pages as we will keep you updated on any further developments.