Arsenal ‘monitoring’ England defender as north London duo set for transfer battle

North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are both keeping tabs on Swansea City defender Nathan Wood.

That is according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who claims the talented young centre back is winning admiring glances after an impressive campaign in the Championship for the Welsh side. Wood has been at Swansea for less than 12 months after making the switch from fellow second-tier outfit Middlesbrough last summer.

The 20-year-old was hardly given a chance to impress at the Riverside after progressing through the academy, and left the club after just 14 senior appearances. Swans manager Russell Martin – who is renowned for his possession-based style – saw the potential in Wood, though, and has made him a mainstay in his team this season with 35 league starts.

That said, Wood put pen to paper on a two-year deal upon his arrival at Swansea last summer, though it does include an option for an additional 12 months. Even with that clause, Romano reports that Swansea are keen to tie him onto a

Wood made his England U21s debut against Croatia last month and his quality in possession would enable him to slot well into Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side. The Gunners could be in the market for a new right-sided centre back to provide competition for William Saliba given the long-term doubts over Rob Holding’s ability.

He would also represent a tidy piece of business for Arsenal’s neighbours Tottenham, who are in desperate need of a revamp at the back. The likes of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez have failed to impress this season, while Clement Lenglet is likely to return to Barcelona upon the completion of his season-long-loan deal in the summer.