Arsenal centre-back review: Still room for Vermaelen?

Laurent Koscielny: B-

Laurent Koscielny

• Rating: 6.99
• Appearances: 25 (5)
• Tackles per game: 1.6
• Interceptions per game: 1.8
• Clearances per game: 5.6
• Clean sheets: 11
• 19W, 5D, 4L

Here, arguably, is where statistics only tell part of the story. If you believe them, Koscielny is only marginally better than Mertesacker, who himself is infinitesimally better than Vermaelen. However, taking a look at the bigger picture suggests that Koscielny is far and away Arsenal’s best centre-back.

He falls somewhere between Vermaelen’s brashness and Mertesacker’s conservatism: he joins the attack with aplomb but tracks back and anchors the defence, showing range and positioning to rival the best in the Premier League. If his statistics suffer, it may be for falling between the two, losing points for aggressiveness compared to Vermaelen and losing points for stability compared to Mertesacker.

Like the other two, he has been found guilty of a few errors, such as his embrace of Dzeko in January, but it’s arresting to see that a defender managed to claim three MotM awards from WhoScored, a designation usually reserved for attackers who win games with timely goals. That Koscielny joined those ranks while also saving the team on more than one occasion should surely earn him more attention than he’s gotten.

Other teams, notably Bayern and Barca, have sniffed around, but it would be a sore mistake to let him leave under almost any terms. If we were to set aside some of his early and shakier performances, he might just lead the discussion for the Premier League’s best centre-backs. Limiting ourselves to those who play for Arsenal, he leads the way with those MotM awards (3) and games with a rating of 8.0 or higher (3).

Between the three of them, therefore, Koscielny seems to emerge as the best of the bunch, possessing the aggressiveness of Vermaelen without incurring the risk, understanding limitations like Mertesacker without letting them inhibit him. If there’s a centre-back around whom to build the defence, it is almost certainly Koscielny.

What does this mean for the summer transfer-window? A fourth centre-back would be useful under the best of circumstances. Arsenal has been frequently linked with Swansea’s Ashley Williams, but it remains to be seen whether he adds more than he subtracts after just one season in the Premier League, and one that was a bit blessed by kismet at that.

Whom should Arsenal try to sign?

As it stands, Arsenal go into 2013-14 with an enviable set of centre-backs that did, after all, lead a defence that only conceded 37 league goals, second-best in the Premier League. A shrewd addition to that group would bode well for the upcoming season: competition to keep all-involved on their toes, leading to the best pairings available. Most of the headlines have focused on more-forward thinking options such as Higuain, Jovetic, or Fellaini, but adding one more centre-back might be just as crucial to Arsenal’s aspirations in the upcoming year.

What do you think? Whom should Arsenal consider signing this summer to burnish the defence?