Arsenal lost ground with their rivals in the race to finish in the top four after losing to Southampton.

On-loan Liverpool forward, Danny Ings, scored his first Premier League goals since 2015 to give the Saints a slender lead at half-time with Henrikh Mkhitaryan keeping his side in the contest. The ex-Manchester United winger scored again after the break as Arsenal pushed for a winner, but an error from Bernd Leno allowed Charlie Austin to secure all three points for the hosts. The result leaves the Gunners three points behind Chelsea following their win over Brighton.

Arsenal’s defensive frailties were exposed yet again against the Saints with Unai Emery being forced to field a makeshift defence consisting of Stephan Lichtsteiner and Granit Xhaka. If Arsenal are serious about becoming contenders for the Premier League title, defensive reinforcements are a must. With the January transfer window right around the corner, Emery must be looking to strengthen his backline.

The ideal addition to the squad would be RB Leipzig skipper – Willi Orban. Valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, the Hungary international has been a mainstay in the defence since joining the club in 2015, assisting their transition into one of the top sides in Germany. The defender has made nine appearances in the Bundesliga this season, helping Leipzig to fourth in the table, just two points behind Borussia Monchengladbach in second.

First and foremost, Orban is an excellent defender would add some much-needed stability to Arsenal’s defence. The centre-back loves to get stuck in, averaging 2.1 tackles per game in the league, more than any other Arsenal defence this season. Orban also reads the game expertly, averaging 1.6 interceptions on average. His arrival at the Emirates would add a real presence to the back four as Orban has won an incredible 4.9 aerial duels per game in the Bundesliga (WhoScored).

Approaching the prime of his career, securing the defender’s signature could prove to be a masterstroke.

Arsenal fans, thoughts?