Unai Emery is wasting no time in strengthening Arsenal’s defence, as the Gunners have signed Stephan Lichtsteiner on a free transfer, the club has confirmed.
The Switzerland international’s Juventus contract was set to expire at the end of the month, and Arsenal announced the news by means of their official Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon.
He’s our first summer signing – now let’s have your messages for @LichtsteinerSte ?#WillkommenStephan pic.twitter.com/4YfrNzuTE4
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 5, 2018
Lichtsteiner, 34, is known for his swift counter-attacking play from the right-back position, and will give Emery more cover over his defensive line.
The experience that the Swiss international will bring will excite Arsenal fans, as Lichtsteiner has helped Juventus to win seven Serie A titles, as well as three Supercoppa trophies and four Coppa Italia’s, during his seven-year association with the Turin based outfit.
OPINION
Stephan Lichtsteiner is a great addition to Emery’s defensive line for a number of reasons. The Swiss international boasts a huge CV of experience and knows how to win the big games as evidenced by his time at Juventus, where he won 14 major honours. Some questions could be raised about his age, 34, which could mean that the player is entering the final phase of his career. However, he earned the nick-name ‘Forest Gump’ from his team-mates, supposedly because he can keep on running. Emery has been smart with his business thus far, not having to break the bank for an elite European talent, that can help the youngsters in the team to develop, and can help the first team to install a winning mentality. The first signing post Arsene Wenger is not a bad one. Fans can now sit back and enjoy watching their newest signing, as he plays for Switzerland this Summer in the World Cup.