Thursday, March 28, 2024

3 Arsenal Players To Watch At The World Cup

3. Thomas Vermaelen

The Arsenal captain has fallen out of favour in North London this season after Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesaker created an ideal partnership at the centre of defence. Vermaelen is unlikely to get a chance in the Arsenal set-up to break this defensive duo apart, except from in pre-season, so his big chance of forcing himself back into the starting line-up for Arsenal is in Brazil.

The Belgian defender will be a key-player for his national side, likely to be part of a defence that includes Manchester City’s captain Vincent Kompany and Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen. Due to this duo, it’s highly likely we’ll see Vermaelen utilised on the left-side of defence, where if he impresses he could be used in a similar fashion for the Gunners next season.

Arsenal have struggled in the left-back department for years and although Kieran Gibbs is a top class defender with an international future for England, his biggest trouble is injuries- which have plagued him since he first emerged in North London. The alternative to Gibbs is Nacho Monreal, who has question marks over his future at Arsenal due to performances this season. Thomas Vermaelen has a chance to make the left-back spot his own.

Another scenario could see the captain leave the club, in which case the World Cup will provide the Belgian with the opportunity to put himself in the shop window. Decent performances would drive his market price up, which in turn would provide Arsenal with a greater revenue amount to spend elsewhere. Vermaelen could end up being a key-part of Arsenal’s transfer activity.

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