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Arsenal will resume their Premier League campaign with a daunting trip to defending champions Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta’s side are currently in ninth place but still have a slim chance of securing Champions League football, if their opponents on Wednesday fail to get their European ban lifted.
With an eye already on next season, Arteta could use the remainder of the current campaign to assess and analyse his squad. The Gunners are in serious need for an overhaul given their recent failures.
The upcoming transfer window could be crucial for Arsenal, with the centre-back position being their top-most priority.
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The centre-back situation at Arsenal
David Luiz and Sokratis’ futures at Arsenal remain uncertain whilst Pablo Mari’s loan from Flamengo has still not been made permanent.
That leaves the club with Calum Chambers and Rob Holding, both of whom have been absent for large portions of the season with respective injuries.
Arsenal have, therefore, been linked with a plethora of centre-backs from all across Europe during the coronavirus break, five of which have been discussed below.
5. Daniele Rugani
There is no arguing that Juventus have, throughout their history, possessed some of the world’s most illustrious centre-backs. Their current crop includes the legendary duo of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, and a 20-year-old Matthijs de Ligt, who is already a superstar defender.
Unfortunately, this has severely hampered the game-time of 25-year-old Daniele Rugani, a player who was destined for greatness according to the Juventus faithful. The Italian international has been at the club since seven years but has failed to make the kind of impact he would have liked to.
Many predicted Rugani to have a central role under Maurizio Sarri this season with the pair having worked together at Empoli previously. However, he still remains a peripheral figure at the Allianz Stadium.
Rugani very much typifies the ‘classic Italian defender’ stereotype: powerful, physical and strong in the air. Although he has a notable lack of pace, he covers that up with his brilliant reading of the game.
He is not one to make reckless challenges and uses his positional awareness to nullify attackers. Even with his obvious talents, however, he has not been able to cement a starting role at Juventus, having made a mere three appearances in the Serie A this season.
Rugani will, therefore, hope to reignite his career elsewhere with Arsenal being a logical destination. Although he cannot be categorised as a textbook ball-playing centre-half Arteta would want to bring in, his confidence, grit and work ethic could make him a fan favourite at the Emirates.
Rugani, who is valued between €20-25 million, was recently diagnosed with the asymptomatic coronavirus, but has recovered well and could feature in Juventus’ title run-in.
4. Nathan Ake
Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake has attracted attention from a host of Premier League clubs over the past year or so.
Back in February, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson stated that Arsenal should be seriously looking to bring in the 25-year-old in order to resolve their defensive problems. He said:
“Ake has pace and he’s played in England for a while, so if you brought him in for next season he’s not a player who will need time to get used to the league for six months. Arsenal need to hit the ground running [next season] and everybody needs to know their jobs in the team,” he insisted.
Extremely intelligent, quick and dynamic, Ake has been excellent for the Cherries ever since his loan move from Chelsea was made permanent. For his sensational performances in the 2017/18 season, the Dutchman was also honoured with the Bournemouth Supporters’ Player of the Year award.
Arsenal are in desperate need to sign a centre-back this summer and Ake could be a perfect addition to Mikel Arteta’s rebuild at the Emirates. Having already proved himself in the Premier League, he would slot straight into the Arsenal backline and could stay at the club for many years to come.
With reports before the pandemic outbreak stating that Ake could cost well above £50m, Arsenal could now secure him at a cut-price deal in the transfer window before the commencement of the 2020/21 season.
3. Jerome Boateng
Bayern Munich centre-back Jerome Boateng is reportedly looking for a new challenge, with a return to the Premier League looking like a possible option.
The German defender recently opened up about his rough patch under former boss Niko Kovac:
“I've always fought my way through the past few years, even when the support of the previous coach [Niko Kovac] or others wasn't there,” he stated.
When asked about potentially leaving the club in the coming transfer window, he said, “I'm not putting myself under any pressure, my contract runs until the end of June 2021. The most important thing for me right now is what the coach says. I'll take my time and let the rest come to me.”
Under new boss Hansi Flick, the 31-year-old has regained a starting spot and is leading the club to an eighth straight Bundesliga title. However, having had a successful spell with the Bavarians, a move outside his home country could make sense. And Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could use this opportunity to inject much needed experience and leadership to his dressing room.
Arteta's former club Manchester City brought a young Jerome Boateng to the Premier League back in 2010 but he dramatically failed to impress and was sold well within a year.
Now a world champion, the centre-back could prove to be a welcome sight for Arsenal fans, who have been craving for some stability and consistency at the heart of their fragile defense.
Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva was another veteran defender rumoured to be on the Londoners’ radar. Sporting director Leonardo Araújo confirmed his departure on Saturday but the Brazilian, who will turn 36 later this year, will only be a short-term solution for Arteta and Arsenal.
2. John Stones
There is no doubt that Manchester City’s most underwhelming player of the Guardiola era has been John Stones. The English international was the Catalan’s second signing for the club in a mouth-watering £47.5m transfer from Everton.
Following an error-riddled first season at the Etihad, Stones went onto play a defining role in the first half of City’s ‘centurion’ campaign before suffering an injury which halted his advancements.
The Barnsley-born defender has not been able to replicate that form in subsequent seasons. As a result, has been forced down the pecking order ever since Aymeric Laporte’s arrival. Stones, on his day, is one of the world's best ball-playing centre-halves and he could win over City fans once again by adding much-needed consistency to his game.
Guardiola, however, could run out of patience with the 26-year-old and, as a result, look to offload him in the upcoming transfer window. The City hierarchy will need to shore up their defense if they are to reclaim their Premier League crown next season and Stones could be sacrificed in the process.
Having worked together at City, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly interested in acquiring his services for next season. The Spaniard is fully aware of Stones’ talents and strengths, and admires his ball-playing abilities, passing attributes and build-up play from the back.
Arsenal’s defensive frailties this season have them languishing in ninth position in the Premier League and Stones’ arrival could be a significant boost to the back four. Arteta, back in January, heaped praise on his former player but claimed that the Gunners are not trying to sign him.
“John is a player that I really like and I followed. We signed him when I was at Manchester City and I worked with him for many years and know him well. When I look at centre-backs he has many attributes that I like from one, but we’re not interested,” he said.
Arsenal, however, would be closely monitoring Stones’ situation with a £30m offer enough to seal a potential deal.
1. Dayot Upamecano
The youngest of the lot and perhaps one of the most exciting prospects in world football right now, RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano has turned heads across Europe with his commanding performances in the past couple of seasons.
The Frenchman has been a force at the back for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, who are having another excellent season, both domestically and in the Champions League.
The 21-year-old clearly defies his age, having already made 80 appearances in the German top-flight. The definition of a modern-day centre-back, Upamecano is a blend of robustness and poise.
His physical stature and aggressiveness allows him to bully opponents with ease but it is his passing range and comfort on the ball with catches the spectator’s eye. He is surprisingly pacy even with his formidable figure, and this helps him gallop into midfield and recover effectively when needed.
Upamecano could, hence, no doubt revolutionise Arsenal's defensive playing style.
Although he still has occasional lapses of concentration as we saw last week against Paderborn, there is little doubt that his immense talents and potential will someday make him one of the world’s best centre-backs. And joining Mikel Arteta at Arsenal could be the perfect springboard for his career.
The Gunners wrapped up the signing of another highly-rated centre-half last summer, William Saliba, who is primed for success at the Emirates when he returns from his loan spell. The French duo could kick-start a new era for Arsenal defensively, with the likes of David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, both thirty-plus, linked with moves away from the club.
