With Arsenal’s defensive short-comings getting revealed again and again, it would surprise nobody if signing a new centre-back was Arsene Wenger’s key priority when the transfer window re-opens. If only January weren’t so far away.
Arsenal’s main problem is that they only have two out-and-out centre-backs. Sure, Calum Chambers can play down the centre, but he’s only 19-years-old and he’s currently being utilised down the right, where he’s filling in for the injured Mathieu Debuchy. With The Gunners picking up injuries left, right and centre, they’re a club that’s right on the verge of a defensive crisis.
This brings me to The Metro‘s claim that Arsenal are on the hunt to sign Athletic Bilbao’s talented young centre-back, Aymeric Laporte. The source suggests that a £34m January deal could be on the cards.
There’s two things to note here: firstly it’s great that Arsenal are already considering their options ahead of the upcoming transfer window. Secondly, wow, £34m is a lot of money. Would Arsene Wenger really be willing to spend that big on a defender?
His price-tag is even more amazing when you consider that he’s just 20-years-old. Still, The Metro expects that the deal will go ‘through without a hitch’. What’s going on?
Despite his youth, it’s clear that Laporte is a top defender. He’s held his own against players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and he’s proven that he’s got an astute positional sense and the capacity for some excellent tackling. He’s tall (6 foot 2 inches) and he’s physically strong. If he were to move to the Premier League, I don’t think he’d be overawed.
Still, despite his obvious talent, youth and reputation, it would be hard to justify spending £34m on a player who may not break into the first team for a couple of years (is he really going to displace Laurent Koscielny or Per Mertesacker in Arsenal’s starting XI?). If Arsenal do close this deal, I’d expect them to do so for considerably cheaper.
Given Arsenal’s tendency to pick up injuries, he’s certainly worth pursuing. I’ll be interested to see how this one gets played out.
What’s your take? Is Aymeric Laporte a good option for The Gunners?
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