Has Rob Holding played his last Arsenal game? He could have, and I bet many Gooners are fully expecting him to finally part ways after seven years at the Emirates.
After William Saliba was injured in March when Arsenal played Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League, Arteta initially picked Holding as Saliba’s replacement.
But the 27-year-old didn’t manage to fill the void the Frenchman left perfectly. In the games he filled in at the right of the central defence, Arsenal failed to register a win. Arsenal only returned to winning ways after Arteta was bold enough to drop him and give Jakub Kiwior a chance, which was immediately met with approval as the Pole seemed to slot seamlessly into the defence alongside Gabriel.
With talk that Arteta is keen to sign another centre-back, to be William Saliba’s replacement, and recruit a right-back, there will be too many bodies in Arsenal’s defence. To bring some order to the defence, it will be necessary to let others go. Kieran Tierney is heavily linked with a move away; could his exit be followed by Holding’s? Why not? I see no other defender who was available last season leaving. With Holding and Tierney’s departures, Arteta’s defensive options could be as follows:
At right back: Sacho Boey, Tomiyasu, and White
At left back: Zinchenko, Tomiyasu, and Kiwior
At the right of central defence: Saliba, Guehi (if signed or whoever is signed), and White
At the left of central defence: Gabriel and Kiwior.
The Gunners will not be weakened by Holding’s exit, and even though they may not make a fortune for his sale, he needs to go and that’s a spot that obviously needs to be upgraded anyway.
Daniel O
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