Arsenal Eye Joaquin Seys as Premier League Rivals Circle

Arsenal are back at Club Brugge’s door. Weeks after snapping up winger Christos Tzolis from the Belgian side, Mikel Arteta’s recruitment team have turned their attention to another of the club’s rising assets: Joaquin Seys.

Rated at around £30 million, the Belgian international has emerged as a serious option at full-back as Arsenal look to reinforce a squad preparing to defend their Premier League title. Arteta wants a different profile on the flank. Seys has quickly moved near the top of the list.

He is not short of admirers.

Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Portuguese pair Benfica and Porto are all tracking the 22-year-old defender, who caught the eye with his performances for Belgium at this summer’s World Cup. The competition is real, and it is growing.

United have already felt the market’s resistance. An initial move for Newcastle’s Lewis Hall was rebuffed, with the Magpies making it clear the left-back is not for sale. That setback pushed Old Trafford’s recruitment team towards Seys, who is now viewed as a live alternative as they attempt to finally address long-standing problems at full-back.

Arsenal, though, have not been passive observers. According to reports, the club have carried out extensive scouting missions on the Club Brugge man, compiling a detailed dossier that now sits on Arteta’s desk. This is not a name plucked from a database; it is a target shaped by repeated live viewings and internal debate.

Arteta has already signposted his intentions in public. Asked about potential business, the Arsenal head coach was clear about the club’s stance in the market, stressing that they are looking only for “the right player” and adding: “If we have the right player in the market to make us much better. We are very looking forward to that.” The message was simple: quality over quantity, but they are ready to move.

Seys fits the profile of a modern full-back coveted at the top level: young, athletic, already tested on the international stage. Crucially for Brugge, he is also under contract for another three years. The Belgian club are under no pressure to sell and can afford to hold a firm line on price.

That has not frightened United. The £30m valuation is not expected to deter them as they search for a long-term successor to Luke Shaw and build a squad capable of handling the demands of a Champions League return. Their need is acute, their intent clear.

Aston Villa are operating from a similar position of urgency. Lucas Digne’s move back to PSG has left Unai Emery short at left-back, and Villa are now in the market for a replacement who can slot straight into a side with ambitions of staying among the Premier League’s elite.

Newcastle, already stung in their attempt to keep Hall out of reach, are in the frame as well, while Benfica and Porto bring the lure of regular European football and a proven track record of polishing and selling on talent.

So the stage is set: a coveted Belgian international, a firm selling club, and a cluster of heavyweights circling the same prize.

Arsenal have moved once at Club Brugge this summer. The question now is whether they are prepared to go back and win a far more crowded race.