Not so long ago, Arsenal fans were complaining about how limited their defensive options were. They were slap bang in the middle of an injury crisis and had to make do with whatever they had going.
With Per Mertesacker’s form uncertain and Laurent Koscielny a constant injury doubt, it wasn’t a particularly healthy position to be in. Now that they’ve signed Gabriel Paulista, however, they seem to be in a significantly stronger position.
They’ve certainly got strength-in-depth in the full-back positions. Down the right, they’ve got bucket-loads of options, even though they decided to let go of Bacary Sagna last summer. They can currently call upon Mathieu Debuchy (when he’s fit), Calum Chambers, Hector Bellerin and even Carl Jenkinson (when he’s not on loan).
Down the left, Arsenal are also fairly spoilt. Nacho Monreal is currently enjoying the form of his life and Kieran Gibbs is a worthy replacement. They’ve got two decent options, but they don’t have a third, like they do down the right.
This brings me to The Metro‘s claim that Arsenal are in the market to sign Real Madrid’s forgotten man, Fabio Coentrao. He’s been linked with a move to a Premier League club for a couple of years now. Perhaps Arsene Wenger will finally grant his wishes?
Whilst Coentrao’s been struggling for game-time in recent weeks, he’s a player that was worth 30m euros just three and a half years ago. The fact that he’s only played 13 times this season is beside the point. There’s way too much competition at The Bernabeu. This obviously wouldn’t be the case at The Emirates.
In other words, you shouldn’t take his current status at Real Madrid as a reflection of his quality. The aforementioned source claims that Fabio Coentrao is currently valued at £25m.
If Arsenal were to complete this deal, then the Portuguese ace would be their most expensive defensive signing. Wouldn’t that be a nice change of pace on the part of Arsene Wenger?
What’s your take? Where will Fabio Coentrao end up next season?
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