Why are Arsenal looking for a new centre-back this summer?

It seemed like one of those boring non-Arsenal transfer rumours yesterday when the German international Benedikt Howedes revealed that he had turned down a move to Arsenal in favour of extending his contract with Schalke in the Bundesliga.

Mesut Ozil recently told the world that Howedes would be perfect to play in the Premier League, but the 27 year-old has decided to see out his career in Germany. “Milan and Arsenal have really been keen on my services, this is what I am able to confirm,”

“Still I have not opted against them, I have decided in favour of Schalke. My job is not done here yet.

“And, especially after last season, I told myself I do not want to leave this way. I am a key player of this club.”

Howedes is a truly talented player and played every single minute of Germany’s World Cup winning campaign last year, so would definitely fulfil Wenger’s criteria of improving our team, and also can play in any position along the back line so we can understand Le Prof making enquiries about him.

But the point of this story is to say that if Howedes has confirmed that Arsenal want him this summer, then doesn’t that also confirm the fact that Wenger is in the market for a top-class centre-back. Considering that we already have Laurent Koscielny, Gabriel, Chambers and Mertesacker in the squad, does that mean that mean that one of those would have been sold to make room for Howedes, or is Wenger just trying to increase the depth of the squad?

24 Comments

  1. Keeping 3 very good senior centrebacks is difficult enough task, why get a 4th? I’m not aware of any transfer rumour concerning Mertesacker or Koscielny.

      1. Oh Great!…….. Where’s is a wenger quote to suggest we are in for a New centre back?….. Crap!

        1. Oi! Calm down.. Not Wenger, but Howedes himself CONFIRMED Arsenal were interested. He IS a centre-back. Read the story please before trolling.

    1. Am also as surprised as you. If you look at all the top clubs in Europe they all have 3 senior CB. When i look at this type of rumour I start asking myself if the BOssieny link to Madrid is real? because i don’t see any other reason for us to be buying a CB if Per or Bossieny don’t seem to be moving this window.
      If we buy a CB I won’t complain as much as Bossieny and Gabby are saying. Gabby at 24 is playing way better than Bossieny when he just came to Arsenal. gabby really excites me and i can’t wait for next season. A true no nonsence CB. Just what the dr reccommended for Arsenal.

    2. he won’t leave. he has said that he doesn’t want to end his time at schalke (where he is a loyal captain) on such ah low. he’s staying another season at least. cheers from berlin. 😀

    3. Wenger is not in the market for a centre back, trust me. We have 4 cb already. We are good in that position, its the deep midfield role that we need an addition, I’m hearing carvalho is back on, hope so, either him or kondogbia or even wanayama would do the trick. And we got Martinez who is begging to join us, Wenger plz sign Jackson.

  2. Who’s to say he was an option in January and We made a bid in January not this summer?

    I’d be surprised if we made a bid this summer but you never know. Maybe Wenger has plans to change formation to 3 at the back. Maybe Wenger sees Chambers or even Gabriel as a DM and therefore we need another central defender. It looks like we’re upgrading the goalkeeper so maybe Wenger wants to upgrade the defence Mertasacker? Although that would surprise me because mert has a fantastic partnership with Koscielney & I’m not sure if Howedes is a massive upgrade as a centre back to mert.

  3. The guy openly refused Arsenal and Milan which can only mean his been promised by Barcelona or Madrid next summer

      1. Exactly, someone’s been seriously trying to get “loyalty” off the dictionary. I suspect Putin.

  4. I would not mind a good centre back and phase out Mertesacker over the season. Mert can than go in the winter transfer or next summer.

  5. Having read the full interview I think he meant that Milan and Arsenal were interested in his services over the last couple of years. I think our interest in him ended when we signed Gabriel

  6. I like Chambers, nice and promising guy. But how could we have bought him for such a preposterous amount of money?

    1. English players cost a lot because every team needs home grown players in their squad there aren’t that many top home grown talents (not enough anyway) so to get the best/ most promising you need to pay highly otherwise you have to have a squad with players not good enough.

      16m Isn’t too bad at 19 years old your paying for the future. Luke shaw cost over 30m. He started the season really strongly. He’s still learning. I think he’ll become a top player. It’s also worth the risk because we could recoup most of that money if he doesn’t make the grade.

    2. Yeah, u put up the truth and fans just go bunkers. Seriously, Chambers is not fit to play as RB for us, he’s reckless as a CB and very unproven as a DM. Meh, the English hype!!! Owkie, I do hope he grows into a tremendous player. But at the moment, the guy is just nowhere near value for money.

      1. Chambers is just 19. At the under 19 level he is their captain and the best player they got. Thats just the way it is this days. With home grown rule coming you got to pay that extra cash. City making a new £45 m bid for sterling is not just about his potential. There is an English tax of £10m added to that transfer.

        At this rate Jack Wilshere will probably be the most expensive player at our club. I am talking abot £55 m . This guy is man of the match of 6 of his last 7 England games. he is Clearly englands best player and the team built arounf him. The English Hype is huge but I don’t complain.

        Even danny Welbeck is now a £30 m player. lol we have OX Theo Chambers jekinson etc

    3. Look how much Luke Shaw went for then say that again. Quality Home Grown players are hard to come by…

  7. He is not d kind of defender that keeps u leaking ur lips, so I really care less about his snub. Moreover we ve more pressing issues to take care of…

  8. How is that Howedes?

    I do think that Wenger goes around enquiring fr players he likes. We did buy some midfielders when we didn’t need them right?

  9. Howedes could be a top defender at Schalke. But Schalke don’t like doing transfer business with Arsenal. There was this case that never materialized when Arsenal bidded for Julian Draxler 3 years ago and it did not come to fruition. Nevertheless, I think the Boss should take the signing of a left back a serious business this summer. In the likely of him not signing a top quality DM which may turnout to be so, Arteta and Flamini will be the 2 only recognized DMs besides Coquelin who 1 out of the 2 could be started or fielded with Coquelin in a 2 DMs starting formation. But Arteta and Flamini are said to be short in top quality DM job delivery last season. Moreover, the Boss hardly made such a typical DM starts last season. Incidentally, which defender do we think the Boss can convert to a 4th typical DM if as we think Arteta and Flamini could be limited to a few starting or playing time? I cannot honestly see any of our top 8 defenders that can fit the bill. Therefore, I think the Boss has to sign a top quality DM that can fit the bill. If the Boss does eventually signed the Gooners most sort after Petr Cech, at the media quoted price of £10-11m out of his £50m summer transfer fee. Would the remaining £40m be sufficient for the Boss to buy a left back that am imposing on him to sign, a popular Gooners demand (including me) of a DM, a strong Gooners asking of a World class striker and my own demand of a top quality right winger? And the Boss may not sell, save Lukas Podolski, to balance the books if he were to signed those 4 new players. And it is known that the Boss hardly spent all his transfer fee in a window. Maybe we will be fortunate to see 3 new Gunners of GK, LB & DM at most at Arsenal next season.

  10. Howedes would be perfect. Can play all 4 positions. LB..RB….both CB positions. Gives time for Chambers and Jenkison to develop

    I like Chambers and hope he develops into a great player but don’t understand why we paid £16 million for him. That seems a bit excessive to be honest

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