Looking at the options available to Arsene Wenger right now in the Arsenal squad, you could say that we have a decent amount of cover all through the defence, especially after our World Cup winner Per Mertesacker rolled back the years and made a lot of doubters eat their words with his almost perfect FA cup final performance.
However you want the Gunners to line up, though, I think that most of us would have Laurent Koscielny as the first name in that back line. The boss seems to feel the same way, unsurprisingly, so when he plays a back three formation it is the France international in the centre, or it is when he is fit and the problem for Wenger is that the fitness of his fellow countryman cannot be relied upon.
As reported by the Evening Standard, Koscielny’s has admitted to needing daily treatment for an ongoing Achilles problem first picked up three years ago, so where does that leave Arsenal? Potentially in trouble, which is why I think we need to make one of this summer’s transfer priorities a top class defender in case Kos the boss is unavailable.
Do you guys agree and if so, who should we sign?
Bob.
Not a priority as much as he seems to have issues with that recurring achilles injury he can still play. The only way Wenger part ways with him is the Marseille rumours. Were they to come and pay 30M+ pounds Wenger might be interested.
A world class center forward, a Midfielder to replace Cazorla in the long run and maybe a winger. So we will see what happens.
I agree. Plus Wenger already said he doesn’t see conflict with Monreal and Kolasinac as he sees Monreal on the left of a back 3. That means we have:
Mustafi
Monreal
Mertesacker
Holding
Gabriel
Chambers
So including Koscielny, potentially 7 CBs for 3 positions. We need no more than 6 due to the 25 man squad limit.
you can included OGGY as a CB. i’m sure he’ll be one hell of a monster CB.
Holding? Mustafi? Chambers? Gabriel? with the option of Monreal. Nah we’re good for now.
You can also add Kolansinac to that list, his preferred position is CB.
Didn’t he personally state he’s a LB first and foremost?
??If you say so ??but the player himself stated that CB was his preferred position ??
i was going to buuuuuuuuuut i couldn’t spell it i’m afraid.. let alone pronounce it
I remember one season when Walcott was in a good run, he got injured around January against Spurs and we needed a striker to pick up where he left, but the genius one brought in an injured Kim Kardashian
so an injury to any Arsenal player does not force Wenger to buy another player of the same position, he might buy a new physio or ball boy to prove to everyone that he is so unique in his judgements..
Kallstrom played a part in getting us our first piece of silverware for years. Also is Swedish, land of hot blondes and Freddie Ljungburg.
Yeah he played a big part…..by warming the physio table so our other injured players recovered faster
u cant have top class defender for the bench. it will just be another lucas perez situation. we all know wenger is not into squad rotation to give others a chance.
@bran99….
Really?? That’s all you can come up with????smh…
Anyway, as for Koscielny, it hurts to know that he is declining and we can’t depend on him fitness-wise but the quality and class is there….
Am afraid FOR NOW, I can’t trust any of our CBs to quickly step up to his lower, especially when I remember the Bayern game where we became a basket as soon as he left the pitch, can any of our CBs boss that kinda game??? Am not sure…
I want us to give chances to our current CBs,but you have to remember games like the Bayern or PSG…
So I say, we start looking a good replacement…
Totally agree
We need to sign 2 world class centrebacks
Holding is inexperience and should go out on loan
Chambers is not ready and should go out on a loan
BFG is real old and ageing….lack of pace and should retire
Mustafic needs time to settle and adapt, hes inconsistent
Gabriel not good enough, communication issue, not Arsenal standard and should be sold
Monreal is ageing and lack of pace and hes not a Centreback
Kolasinic is not a Centreback, unproven and need time to adapt
…and you think Madrid will sell us Varane, Ramos for peanuts Uhh ?
yes that’s all I can come up with, coz I’ve known Wenger when it’s about buying players. when fans cry about replacing our sold best players, that’s when you get flops or no one at all.
Henry left and we took a very long time to wait for Van Persie to fill the void, he came good one season then sold, and still his gap hasn’t been filled, OG is not near VP quality
Vieira left and his gap has never been filled, every expert, pundit and ex-players were talking about this stuff but nope, in Wenger’s ears it sounded like a sweet slow song
that’s Wenger for you, though he might do wonders this time around, he has no comfort zone anymore, the 4 top clubs are really serious about keeping those positions
Our problem in both games with Bayern was Gabriel. He played like an 18 year old. We would have lost the FA Cup had he played. I fancy Holdings more
If there is money left over after we have got our priority signings then sure. why not?
At the moment we have Koscielny, Mustafi, Mertsacker, Holding, Gabriel and maybe Chambers. Also Montreal and Sead can play CB too. So we aren’t in desperate need
I think getting a Top defensive midfielder is more important like Carvahlo, Matic, Matuidi, Gueye
Priority should be getting top forwards and CM.
Guaye is the best option for me, Carvalhlo and Matuidi are not EPL Proven, Matuidi is over 29 years, Chelsea may not sell Matic to Arsenal
I’d love a fit Diaby to play alongside Xhaka. Some see similarities in Adelaide, personally I don’t, but if true could be worth a try at some stage so long as the boy can tackle. Also we have to try Ox in there some more, to add drive.
Arsenal should hold onto Sceszny. Don’t know why all these fans want him to go. He is more talented than Ospina and I guess he should’ve learnt a lot on loan and more matured. Selling a relegated goalkeeper for 30 million is madness.
Everyone keeps saying sign this player and that player, but we currently have 36 players born 1995 or before. So even if we sign just 2 more that means 13 having to be left put. Can you really see wenger clearing out more than that? Having already ditched 4?
Lets sign Marco Arsenio for 309m
Hes world class and Wenger will show intend to win by signing him
……Lol….
Have you something in common with Hafiz Rahman ???
He is Hafiz Rahman
Utd on the verge of making second signing Fabinho
City has already made 2 signings
Are we actually gonna sign anyone??
people will come to tell you the window isn’t yet opened. though the rivals are enjoying this time and release pressure for their fans, but as Arsenal fans we should get used to this by now. most players were signed at the last hour of the transfer window, majority were flops
its not how far bro…one thing is sure,arsene won’t disappoint.
did someone just suggested we loan out Rob holding because he is ” inexperienced “?
how old was varane before Madrid bought him and made him a first team player?
if you are good enough, you are old enough.
It is a problem, even Koscielny’s performances were effected by this last seas. How much better is it gonna get now, I don’t think it will improve. His pace even seemed a tad off. I don’t know if allot of it is mental as some pundits seemed to suggest, the fact he has to have work done will play on his mind. Mert could be retiring, Gabriel has mistakes in almost every performance. So it’s a risk to rely on what we have now. Monreal is a fullback, teams adept at heading will take advantage of that. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but every season something goes wrong so without adding more quality to defence, I can see how something could go wrong in defence.
Greizmann signs £235,000 per week contract with Atletico. So he’s going nowhere this summer
Agree all the way we need to sign marquinos