The summer transfer window has been opened for teams to sign and register players ahead of the upcoming season.
Arsenal under Arsene Wenger had some defensive issues and that affected them as they missed top four slot before Unai Emery taking over.
Having conceded 39 goals this season in the league, that tally is not good enough for a top-six side and it’s big aspirations. And despite the arrival of the Spaniard manager, the Gunners’ defensive strenghts have not improved.
While Sokratis’ arrival has added some steel, injuries to Rob Holding, and Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny’s inconsistency, have made Arsenal even more desperate for a central defender.
Another key factor to the team finishing out of the top four yet again is due to the fact that the back four somewhat is lacking in a defenitice leader.
Defensive wise, things got rough for Arsenal this season as they were forced to play the likes of Stephen Lichtsteiner and Granit Xhaka at centre back.
Unai Emery can target a few bargain center backs who can really be the leader Arsenal lack right now.
The ageing factor of Sokratis, Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi means a new set of young players should be bought to balance the team.
Here is a look at 4 bargain defenders Arsenal should target and purchase before the transfer window closes:
1. Malang Sarr ( OGC Nice) –
The French U-21 intentional played a pivotal role of the Nice team making a total of 37 appearances. The Frenchman is still only just 19 years old and is still a very raw talent and a club like Arsenal will definitely help him develop into a top player. Sarr is a very physical defender and is not scared of making a tackle or two. His passing capabilities are also exceptional having a total high of 88.5% pass success rate this season.
2. Kalidou Koulibaly ( Napoli)
With 48 appearances this season for Napoli, Koulibaly was voted the best defender in the Serie A. He had an overall rating of 88. He has been on the radar of the North London Giants for some seasons now. Arsenal faces rivalry from Real Madrid and Manchester United in signing the Senegalese international.
3. Jemerson (AS Monaco)
After moving to AS Monaco from Atletico Mineiro, Jemerson has made a name for himself as one of the best centre backs in Ligue 1. The 6 ft tall defender is very strong, a good header of the ball, can intercept well and is good at picking out a pass. In a year where Monaco have been nowhere near their best, Jemerson has still managed to maintain a pass success rate of 87.9% this season.
4. Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax)
Ajax’s defender, Nicolas Tagliafico is a superb player to solve Arsenal’s defensive problems. The 26- year-old made 47 appearances with the Dutch giant and had a total rating of 82. Having even played in the champions league semifinals against Tottenham Hotspurs and winning two domestic trophies with the Dutch side.
5. Kostas Manolas (AS Roma)
The Greek international has been a long target for Arsenal as it was reported last summer that he was close to joining the team. The deal however was never seen through to the end as the bully defender stayed with the club in Rome. The 27 year old has been with Roma since 2014 and has played over 100 matches for the club and scored 6 times with one powerful header against Barcelona in the UCL. Recent reports he is unstable at Roma and the club could be cashing out on him big time.
Earlier reports suggests Arsenal are in advanced talks with Malang Sarr and Jemerson and both are likely to join the club when their parent clubs agree to a fee. And with the Uruguayan Left-back extending his contract with Ajax, the 13 times league winners can still lure the young lad to the club.
After the Europa League final clash with Chelsea, Arsenal will be looking forward to strengthen their team to be compete for trophies and return into the UEFA Champions League if they fail to beat Chelsea in Baku.
