Following the Attack, Here Is The Other Position Arteta Wants Bolstered, by Daniel O
The first position that many Arsenal fans believe will be strengthened this winter is the attack. Because of Gabriel Jesus’ injury, Arteta is almost certain to pursue an attacking signing. If you ask ten Arsenal fans which attacker they think could be joining Artetas’ project, nine will undoubtedly mention Mikhailo Mudryk.
For the past few months, the Shaktar Donetsk man has been “flirting” with Arsenal, and it seems Arsenal are “smitten”.
According to confirmed reports, Arsenal made their first official offer for the Ukrainian sensation last week; it was rejected, but it brought the two parties to the table.
Anyway, while we wait for news on a Mudryk move, who else could Arsenal look to sign this winter? Although many believe that the midfield is the other priority position to be strengthened this winter, this may not be the case.
Arteta, according to Ryan Taylor, may prioritise a move for a left-footed centre back. Arteta has struggled to bench Gabriel Magalhaes because he believes there is no one in his squad as good as him, but he wants to change that. “They want another left-sided centre-back to provide cover for Gabriel,” Taylor told Give Me Sport.
“It’s one that’s on their agenda, but it’s not something that’s a priority at the moment because obviously they are kind of well stocked at centre-back. Ben White, who’s been playing at right back, for instance, they’ve got [Takehiro] Tomiyasu as well, who can also play at centre-back, Rob Holding, too.”
In terms of Arsenal’s search for a left-footed defender, CMW recently reported that Inter Milan’s Milan Skrinier is a player Arsenal is interested in.
Daniel O
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I thought he already had competition from Tomi, Saliba, White – some of them can play in other positions apart from CB.
Looking at GM’s stats over 2022, he made the Opta PL team of the season for a reason, starting every game and playing all but 62 minutes of the PL games in both of the seasons of 2022.
He’s a good player even if the fan base seems to be gradually earmarking him as team scapegoat for reasons I can’t fathom.
IDKI isn’t it that Arsenal has a powerful young left sided defender Evan Ndicka to join in the summer.on a free.
Agreed on Ndicka, he is young,
Left footed and rather than being GMs backup he will challenge to take his place.
We don’t need mediocre squaddies, rather players of starting 11 quality to push the squad through competition
I thought I saw someone mention Ndicka on JA recently, as you say, suggesting that he’s headed to us on a free… not sure how much credibility to give that though…
Is it known to be a fact or is it just a rumour?
Can’t confirm it as a fact but saw it reported from il Romanista in Italy, that Arsenal has an agreement to sign Evan Ndicka in the summer.
I can’t see any defenders arriving before the summer.we will departures before. probably Soares and Holding whose contract expires in 2024.
Gabriel is a top class defender end of…
2nd best defense in the entire EPL and that is with Ramsdale in goal, let that sink in!
Auston Trusty should be given a chance during preseason to see if he can make the grade and become an alternative to Gabriel. I haven’t watched him in the Championship, but he has been receiving rave reviews for his performances, so……
dont forget we have Auston trusty on loan at Birmingham city, left sided CB @24 years old
been playing well there
Why on earth would MA want to bench ANYONE from a defence that has proved to be at the top of its game?
That’s why Tierney and Tomi are being benched at the moment, along with Holding.
Let’s remember Gabriel is playing alongside a talented but unproven young French an by the way… a young player who will be learning from him during every game.
” Arteta has struggled to bench Gabriel Magalhaes because he believes there is no one in his squad as good as him, but he wants to change that.”
TBH I think you will struggle to find someone in the EPL as good as him.. still a bit of a hothead but this is a Thiago Silva in the making
I think we have enough defensive options for this season. Hopefully rumours of a pre-contract agreement with N’dicka are true coupled with the return of Norton-Cuffy from his loan spell then we will have 2 options for each position in the backline whilst being able to sell Cedric and Holding in the summer. Maybe Arteta might consider switching Tomiyasu to a RCB as competition for Saliba and White RB permanently Norton-Cuffy as the backup player for him.
RB: White/Norton-Cuffy
RCB: Saliba/Tomiyasu
LCB: Gabriel/N’dicka
LB: Zinchenko/Tierney
N’dicka is an Arsenal player?
Thanks for telling me!
Surely the much WIDER picture is that we still need a number of players of top quality recruits across the team areas.
Less so in defence and esp not at full back , but we do need another top class CB , but to replace the willing but limited and slow Holding , not to replace GABRIEL.
We badly need, as almost all agree, a proper replacemnt for the almost irrplaceable PARTEY when he is unfit and to rotate, as well as a wide player, another one at least central AM and another DM. PLUS AT LEAST ONE , PREFERABLY TWO TOP STRIKERS.
Those are what we need , not what we will get, as realists well know. But at let let us admit it and not pretend othewise!
Spot on mate!
We certainlt dont need attacking mids as we have ESR, Odergaard, Viera already in the first team with a whole heap of young academy players on loan and coming through that can fill those spots. What we need is a player that can step in right now for Xhaka and especially Partey that we wont miss a beat if they are out. As for two top strikers? I really dont see why we do. Eddie is banging them in no problem and whilst i dont like having him as the only striker till Jesus comes back also remember Balogun comes back next season too. Id like to see a tall target man type bought in to add a different elemnt to our attack in january and just wait for Jesus to return. The team as a whole is scoring plenty and we just need a option.
On the subject of a left footed CB, I was quite impressed with young Colwill of Brighton who was, and may still be, a Chelsea player out on loan?
Very very impressed by him. We have Trusty out on loan ourselves dont forget who has been playing great football. If Trusty isnt viewed as that option id love to see us bring in Colwill and add a good young english centreback to the squad.
Every position in the team should have a backup player, just to keep a steady ship.
The defense was sorted last summer. But need not sorting this winter window. Moreso especially if Magalhaes and Saliba the two centrebacks remain fit, inform and unsidelined this winter. Which will not call for a replacement to any of the duo be signed before this Jan window expires.
Rightfully, I think what the current regular game starting Arsenal team needs most into the season campaign which is to sign a new top quality rightwinger, is being addressed by the club at the transfer market this winter window.
As the club if money permitting, look bet on to sign the Shakhata Donetsk rightwinger, Mykhalio Mudryk this winter to bolster the team midfield-wing options.
And possibly, the club might this winter window reinforced their central midfield and striker’s dept with two new top quality holding midfielder signing. And a new striker signing on a six months loan-in deal.
Who according to media reports, could be jao Felix at Atletico Madrid in the striker front.
While in the holding midfielder fron, my preference to sign by Arsenal this winter is Danilo. But Arsenal could have other preferred new Dmf ti sign this Jan.
I like the look of Ndika though I don’t know if we are after him. He couldn’t have agreed to a pre-contract as he had to wait til Jan to sign one of those. So we’d be doing it now when the window is opened up. He does look talented on his highlight reel
We only need two players
This is our team
1 Aaron Ramsdale
30 Matt Turner
31 Karl Hein
3 Kieran Tierney
4 Ben White
6 Gabriel Magalhães
16 Rob Holding
18 Takehiro Tomiyasu
12 William Saliba
35 Oleksandr Zinchenko
5 Thomas Partey
34 Granit Xhaka
23 Albert Sambi Lokonga
25 Mohamed Elneny
8 Martin Ødegaard
10 Emile Smith Rowe
21 Fábio Vieira
7 Bukayo Saka
11 Gabriel Martinelli
24 Reiss Nelson
9 Gabriel Jesus
14 Eddie Nketiah
27 Marquinhos
That’s 23 players
ESR and Vieira can play as attacking midfielders and they are good at it..so we don’t need another
All squads need those few players who are prepared to sit on the bench
We have those..the best players won’t tolerate been a bench player..but Holding..Elneny..Lokonga Nelson..Marquinhos would….
We have 3 goalkeepers…..7 defenders….4 midfielders….and 9 attacking players sharing 4 positions
“A normal squad comprises of 25 players. In most top tier leagues, a team has to name 18 players in total for each match.”
We need a player like Danilo who can also play RB and Mudryk will do
Gabriel has carried the ball further than any other centre-back in the Premier League this year (6,467m).
Why would we be chasing Skrinier if we want a left footed centreback… he is right footed!!! Have we also forgot we Have Trusty on the books who is playing very well out on loan but isnt Ndicka also supposed to be a done deal for next season??
I think next season we will see these players gone
cedric
holding
Elneny
Nelson
lokonga- loan
that allows us to sign three players in january and i think we probably wont do to much first team business with Trusty and balogun coming back possibly just young talent to get into the academy.