Arsenal could resume their transfer pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan following the long-term injury sustained by Jurrien Timber, according to a report from journalist Fabrizio Romano [via Football365].

Romano stated that Simakan was Arsenal’s ‘Plan B’ in the summer transfer window, behind Timber. However, with the Dutch international facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the door could now re-open for Simakan to join the Gunners.

He isn’t the only player that Arsenal are looking at to replace Timber – they also have a reported interest in Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo.

Arsenal have been busy in the 2023 summer transfer window – they have already brought players such as Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and David Raya to the club. Could Simakan be the next player to join the Gunners?

What did Romano have to say regarding Mohamed Simakan?

In his report, Romano wrote: “As previously reported, Arsenal will explore the market for defenders after the serious and lengthy injury to Jurrien Timber. They will decide how to act soon, despite plenty of speculation emerging already about potential targets.

He continued: “RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan has always been on Arsenal’s list, he was plan B earlier this summer in case Timber didn’t end up joining. At the moment, however, Arsenal have not reactivated contacts to sign him, let’s see if that happens or not. Cancelo has been mentioned again as well, but as stated above, he is in advanced talks over joining Barcelona.”

Will Mohamed Simakan be an improvement over Jurrien Timber for Arsenal?

At this point, it is difficult to say. Timber’s time in an Arsenal shirt has been very limited so far – and we won’t be seeing much of him in the near future, given his injury status. As such, it is difficult to pass judgement on the 22-year-old at this stage.

Nevertheless, Simakan is a fantastic player who will provide an excellent replacement for Timber. Fast, physically-gifted and with underrated technical ability, he is certainly a player of the same mold.

An adaptable player, Simakan can play at right-back, centre-back and right midfield. Last season, he scored three goals in all competitions for Leipzig, alongside eight assists.