Arsenal interested in signing 33-year-old ex-Manchester City star who is now training away from first team squad at his club: Reports

Arsenal are keen on signing former Manchester City defender Danilo, who has been frozen out of his current club Juventus. The 33-year-old spent two seasons at Manchester City from 2017 to 2019 but soon moved to Turin. Now, reports from Tuttosport (via Express) suggest that he is open to returning to England.

Danilo, who made 60 appearances for City over the two seasons that he spent at the Etihad, is free to leave Turin in the ongoing window for a nominal price, given that his contract comes to an end in the summer. Recently, his relationship with Juventus manager Thiago Motta broke down, and he was made to train separately from the rest of the squad.

There was an expectation that Danilo would move to Napoli, but Juventus are not keen on letting that happen. Now, it appears as if interest from Arsenal has materialised, and that the Gunners' manager Mikel Arteta is keen on signing him. The two played together at Manchester City from 2017 to 2019, where the Brazilian arrived for £26.5million.

Danilo has become somewhat of a legend at Juventus, having made 213 appearances for them so far. He has also scored nine goals and bagged 14 assists in his career. This season, he has made only 16 appearances across all competitions under Motta and even bagged an assist from his usual right-back position. The club and Danilo are in talks to mutually terminate his contract.

Danilo would fit in very well at Arsenal

Danilo would fit in at Arsenal, and provide them with the experience they badly need in defence. The Gunners are currently ranked second in the Premier League table with 44 points to their name, six short of league leaders Liverpool, who have 50. Their defensive unit has been quite cohesive in the league this season, having conceded just 21 goals.

However, Danilo would bring with him a wealth of experience to the club, and help them reduce the deficit even further. The former Real Madrid man is noted for his impressive tackling and man-marking skills. He can also bomb forward when the need arises and provide dangerous balls inside the box.

With the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Kieran Tierney linked with moves away from Arsenal, according to Express, Danilo's arrival will herald the beginning of a new era in North London. He will be seen as perhaps the best replacement option they can get in this window.