Arsenal are on the hunt for a new central defender to partner Laurent Koscielny in defence and one name on the wanted list is supposedly Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
Koulibaly is a well known Arsenal target so there is no real need to dive into the depths of discussing his strengths and weaknesses. One thing for sure is that he would certainly be an upgrade on the mix of Per Mertesacker and Gabriel. Mertesacker isn’t getting any younger and he is slowly losing the little pace he still has. His physical capabilities on the pitch are only going to grow worse and with the professional game in England so heavily focused around pace and physicality, Per could soon see himself very out of favour. Gabriel on the other hand still hasn’t truly adapted to the Premier League and after a year and a half at the club, he really needs to improve and adapt soon, otherwise he too could find himself very out of favour at Arsenal. Our only real possible partner for Koscielny at the moment therefore, is in my opinion, Calum Chambers. The youngster however is still very unproven and has had dips in form in the past, which has lead to some terrible errors. So whether he is ready or not to be a regular Arsenal player, leading in defence remains up for debate.
The latest developments on Koulibaly is that although Arsenal have reportedly shown an interest in the 25 year old, an official offer still hasn’t been submitted. Meanwhile Arsenal have now attracted some rivals for the defender’s signature, with Premier League sides Chelsea and Everton also interested in securing the Napoli man.
Arsenal of course have Champions League football to offer next season, unlike the other two sides mentioned in the report. However whether Wenger and co will actually make a suitable offer remains to be seen.
The Gunners may have to be quick to make their move before other clubs start swarming, but at a reported price of £34 million, perhaps this will be another one that Arsenal steer well clear of.
By AH