Whilst Arsenal’s main priority this summer is to sign a centre-forward, it wouldn’t surprise me if Arsene Wenger was also weighing up his options in the centre-back department.
The Gunners defense has improved drastically over the last 12 months, but it’s certainly not flawless. There’s a case to be made that Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker are one of the best centre-back pairings in the Premier League. But they’re just as susceptible to injury, loss of form or fatigue as anybody else.
That’s why it’s important to make sure that Arsenal have good back-up options. At the moment, I’m not sure that this is the case.
If either Koscielny or Mertesacker get injured, Arsene Wenger will be forced to turn to Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgian hasn’t been a regular in this Arsenal side for over a year now. In fact, on the rare occasion when he has made an appearance, he’s looked a little shaky. More than anything, he doesn’t look like a player who can be counted on to deliver the goods.
This brings me to the news that Arsenal are interested in the young but talented French centre-back, Aymeric Laporte. The Mirror claim that Arsene Wenger views the Atletico Bilbao defender as a summer signing, but that he’ll have to fight off competition from other top clubs like Manchester United (who probably need centre-back options more than Arsenal do at the moment), Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
That’s some pretty staunch competition. This deal won’t be easy for Arsenal to close. The aforementioned source even suggests that Arsenal are willing to trigger the youngster’s £30m price-tag. Yikes.
Laporte played an important role in helping Bilbao to finish in the top four of the La Liga table last season. He’s an astute defender who works hard and at pace, making tackles and interceptions and asserting his aerial dominance. He’s certainly good enough to start challenging Laurent Koscielny for his place in the team.
But he sure is expensive. It’s up to Arsene Wenger to decide whether he’s worth the cost.
What’s your take? Should The Gunners swoop in for Aymeric Laporte?
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