With the January transfer window fast approaching, Arsene Wenger will finally be in a position to start fixing his leaky defense. Of course, there’s a good argument to suggest that this is something that he should have done in the summer, but that’s almost besides the point at this stage.
Arsenal’s back-four has been riddled with injury problems, but I’d argue that they don’t have enough options in this part of the pitch, even when everybody’s fit. This could be Arsenal’s most important signing for quite some time. Whoever Arsene brings in during the January transfer window could help to make or break the club’s season. Let’s hope it’s a good one then.
This brings me to The Metro‘s claim that Arsene Wenger has his sights set on Schalke 04’s talented centre-back, Benedikt Howedes. Howedes started all of Germany’s games at the 2014 World Cup, so he’s got a decent amount of experience at the top level. He’ll also know Per Mertesacker well from their time together at international level. Could he prove to be as good a match for the German giant as Laurent Koscielny is (when he’s fit)?
Howedes is versatile (he can play as a centre-back or a left-back), which should see him fit neatly into The Gunners’ squad. With the number of injuries that this back-four tends to pick up, it’s always useful to have somebody who can fill in wherever necessary. What’s more, he’s Schalke’s captain, so he’d hopefully bring with him the kind of footballing nous and leadership skills that Arsenal often lack.
The aforementioned source suggests that he could be available for around £15m. That kind of fee is certainly well within The Gunners financial reach. In football, there’s no such thing as a sure thing, but this does look like a smart deal for Arsene Wenger and co. It would certainly ease the pressure on Arsenal’s overly strained defense.
What’s your take? Is Benedikt Howedes the perfect choice for The Gunners?
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