2. One eye on the future
With the strong link to the experienced Debuchy, over the inexperienced Aurier, there’s a feeling that Arsenal see their future with Jenkinson and Bellerin. Signing Aurier would likely displace one of these two for a number of years, and would see them second choice, considering Aurier’s purchase would be a direct Sagna replacement and not a squad player, as well as Wenger project. Certainly, signing Aurier could hinder the development of Arsenal’s two young right backs, and impede any progress they look to make at Arsenal. Debuchy offers no such problems, and this is due to his age. He’s eight years older than Aurier and is surely seen as short-term solution, whilst Jenkinson and Bellerin can go on loan and mature. Although, flipping the coin, could the Debuchy interest point to a gradual shift in Wenger’s recent transfer policy of the last few years? Last season he signed Flamini and Kallstrom, both approaching their twilight years. It seems Wenger’s seen the effect experience can have on a team, emphasised emphatically by the fantastic Mertesacker who, after a wobbly start, has become a real leader in the Arsenal squad; recently hitting the 100 Club in the German national team. There was a time when Wenger wouldn’t have considered a 29-year-old right back as a first choice replacement. And ever since Arsenal have gone old, to an extent, they’ve eradicated the immaturity and needless errors that plagued the squads of a few years ago. Debuchy’s experience and inability to hinder the youth development is perhaps the key factor and difference in Arsenal’s search for a right back.