Arsenal target Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch — £39m price tag and Real Madrid competition

Arsenal have been named among the clubs tracking Finn Jeltsch, a 20-year-old defender currently at Stuttgart. Reports place his valuation at about €45m, which converts to around £38.7m — commonly rounded to £39m in coverage. The immediate context for Arsenal's interest is defensive fragility in a recent Premier League defeat and recurring problems at right-back.

Jeltsch is presented as a flexible option who can operate both as a centre-back and as a right-back. In the current Bundesliga season he has won a high percentage of his ground duels — reported at 65% — which points to competence in one-on-one challenges on the deck. That ground-game strength explains why Arsenal see him as a candidate to cover the right side of the defence, an area affected by injuries and inconsistent form.

Reports also note that Jeltsch is not dominant in aerial duels. That suggests he may be less suited to playing as the primary central presence in a backline that often needs to handle high balls and set-piece defending. For Arsenal, that nuance matters: if they sign Jeltsch they may view him more as a wide defensive option or as a rotation piece rather than a like-for-like replacement for an aerially strong centre-back.

Arsenal's interest in Jeltsch comes after a 3-0 defeat to Brighton, a result that raised questions about their defensive performance despite the club's general reputation for strong defending since 2022. Injuries have hit Ben White and Jurrien Timber early in the season and neither has been at peak form, which increases the urgency for cover at right-back.

Even so, the club's broader transfer balance is worth noting. Arsenal allowed Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard to leave over the summer and brought in Christos Tzolis but no marquee forward. Coverage suggests that forward recruitment remains a pressing need, with previous links to targets like Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola.

Reports claim Real Madrid are also interested in Jeltsch, which would add significant competition to any Arsenal approach. The Madrid interest is cited alongside the €45m valuation and frames the transfer as one that could draw multiple top clubs into a bidding situation.

Keep an eye on formal offers and whether Stuttgart hold firm on the reported valuation. Also watch Arsenal's internal prioritisation: if the club decides to prioritise attacking reinforcements, pursuit of Jeltsch could slow or be deprioritised. Injuries to Ben White and Jurrien Timber will directly influence Arsenal's short-term urgency for a defensive signing.

Finn Jeltsch is a young, versatile defender who suits Arsenal's immediate need for cover on the right side and offers strong ground defending. He is less effective in the air, which would likely influence how Arteta uses him. Real Madrid interest complicates any transfer, and Arsenal still face a separate shortfall in attacking reinforcements after summer departures.