Should Arsenal hijack Manchester United’s January deal?

It was interesting to watch a well-drilled, highly regarded Arsenal back four get pulled apart so easily against Manchester City. It’s difficult to know whether the Gunners were having an off day, or whether Manchester City’s attacking line-up was just too hot for them to handle. I have a feeling that it was a mixture of the two.

One thing’s for sure. No top class Premier League defense should be conceding six goals. Arsenal’s attack continued to slog away (with Theo Walcott impressing), but it was demoralising to see them concede goal after goal, when they were attempting to get back into the game.

As a result, there will now be some serious question marks over the ability level of this Arsenal defence. These worries will only have been made worse by Laurent Koscielny’s injury. The Frenchman picked up a nasty looking gash on his knee during the City game and could well be out for a while.

This could force Arsenal back into the transfer market this January. Arsene Wenger won’t want to be in the position he was in so often last year, when he had to play full-backs in centre-back positions due to injury problems.

As such, I was intrigued to see The Star link Arsenal to FC Basel’s defensive starlet Fabian Schar. The Swiss defender has also had his name mentioned in conjunction with Manchester United and is considered a hot prospect throughout Europe.

At 21-years-old, he’s still a little raw and may not expect to hold down a role in Arsenal’s starting XI. But he has all the latent ability that he will need to succeed. The 6 foot 2 inches tall defender, is strong on the ball and in the tackle. He’s also a smart individual who reads the game well and makes plenty of timely interceptions. He certainly stood out during Basel’s recent 2-1 away win against Chelsea.

He’s also capable of playing as a right-back, which is something that may appeal to Arsene Wenger. I’m just not sure that Carl Jenkinson is ready for the big time just yet.

There does seem to be something to Arsenal’s interest. Check out these quotes from Schar’s representative, Dimitrios Papadopoulos: “He is happy at Basle, where there is a great atmosphere within the club. Arsenal? I can confirm we have had contact with English clubs who want to sign him. There is also interest from Italian and German clubs, but we have more contact from England.”

Now it’s just up to Arsenal to fight off all the competition and get their man. As a second or third choice centre-back, Fabian Schar would be a great option.

What’s your take? Should Arsenal battle it out with Manchester City to sign Fabian Schar?

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