Arsenal are anticipated to seek for a brand new left-back this summer season as their quest to dominate each England and Europe steps as much as the subsequent stage.
Questions have been requested of Oleksandr Zinchenko and deputy Jakub Kiwior, the latter of whom is not even a left-back, so it could be time to make another addition to an more and more imposing defensive position.
Listed below are six gamers Arsenal ought to take a look at.
It is arduous to argue any left-back has had a greater 2023/24 season that Bayer Leverkusen’s Alejandro Grimaldo.
Signed on a free switch final summer season after his wonderkid standing had firmly disappeared, Grimaldo exploded right into a machine for the Bundesliga winners, racking up loopy numbers of objectives and assists beneath Xabi Alonso’s tutelage.
Grimaldo’s attacking aptitude would solely enhance Arsenal’s choices within the last third and assist create the fluid dynamic that Arteta is pushing for.
Zinchenko has been used as an inverted left-back for years now, so if Arteta desires to stay to that system, he ought to look no additional that Fenerbahce’s Ferdi Kadioglu.
The 24-year-old was an elite midfield playmaker up till 2018 earlier than a transfer to Turkey noticed him change right into a left-back position, and Kadioglu is now broadly seen as among the best gamers within the Tremendous Lig.
Heading into the ultimate two years of his contract, there are many golf equipment in Europe eyeing Kadioglu as a possible discount this summer season, and Arsenal can be sensible to affix the queue.
Girona’s flame might have fizzled out in direction of the top of this season however your complete squad did sufficient to catch the attention, with left-back Miguel Gutierrez no exception.
Gutierrez was touted as a future star when he broke by means of at Actual Madrid and that notion of the 22-year-old seems to have been justified. He has been wonderful this season, exceeding expectations at each left-back and wing-back.
Girona merely shouldn’t have the monetary means to compete along with his elite suitors, of which there are lots of, so a deal might not show to be too costly.
Procuring within the Premier League is an costly pastime however, if Arsenal need a risk-free signing with none issues over adjusting to English soccer, Rayan Ait-Nouri needs to be their man.
Like Gutierrez, Ait-Nouri’s inventory was extremely excessive as a teenager and, after a number of quiet years, he’s now flying. The 22-year-old could also be a left-back by commerce however his love of dribbling sees him concerned all around the discipline, which may match into Arteta’s system completely.
With solely two years left on his contract, Ait-Nouri might be out there for the fitting value this summer season. He’d be an costly however worthwhile addition to the Gunners’ squad.
Jorrel Hato is a little bit of a bet. He is solely 18 however is hovering with Ajax, displaying the whole lot you wish to see from a participant of his age in an in any other case uninspiring defence.
A centre-back by commerce, Hato is snug shifting out huge and could possibly be used as a part of a makeshift again three, particularly with Ben White discovering his love of getting ahead and impacting play at that finish of the pitch.
He did simply signal a brand new long-term contract, however Ajax are all the time open for enterprise on the proper value.
It wasn’t way back that Kieran Tierney was being talked about as a future captain and core member of the Arsenal squad. We do not know what occurred, however for one cause or one other, he fell down the standings and was loaned out to Actual Sociedad this season.
A sequence of hamstring accidents have restricted Tierney’s involvement in Spain however he’s nonetheless clearly a reliable left-back who maybe simply wanted a change of surroundings to get his profession going as soon as once more.
The important thing to this deal is the power of Tierney’s relationship with Arteta. Stories counsel it could possibly be greater than a bit frosty, but when Arsenal wish to get monetary savings, they may attempt to rebuild that bridge.
