Arsenal are in need of a new left back with Nacho Monreal struggling for fitness and Sead Kolasinac struggling to nail down a place in the starting eleven. The Gunners need a young player who can come in and may that position his own for the next 10 years or so. In this article, I look at four potential solutions.
1 – Ferland Mendy
My frontrunner. The 23-year-old French defender is one of Lyon’s best and most consistent players. As well as impressing in Ligue 1, he put in two brilliant performances against Manchester City in the Champions League this season, despite coming up against some of Europe’s best attacking talent in that game.
2 – Ben Chilwell
Now a full international, Chilwell has been on Arsenal’s radar for some time. The club will no doubt regret not sealing a move for the Leicester man earlier in his career. Just 21 years of age, Chilwell plays with a maturity beyond his years. Already priced at £1.84, Chilwell has been recognised by traders by his quality for both club and country. But when you look at Luke Shaw (£2.34) there is still room for growth in Chilwell’s price, especially if he gets a move to Arsenal. The likes of Liverpool once baulked at Leicester’s £10million asking price – he’s now likely to cost at least double that amount.
3 – Junior Firpo
A bit of a wildcard choice. ‘Junior’ has progressed through the youth ranks at Real Betis and is now an important part of the team in Spain. The 22-year-old plays as a wingback currently, but he is 6ft tall and has some strong defensive attributes too. We know Unai Emery likes to play with attacking full-backs, with Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira providing protection for the defence so Firpo may be a good fit for the new look Arsenal.
4 – Kieran Tierney
Tierney is an exciting 21-year-old fullback currently playing for Celtic, but it is surely only a matter of time before he is poached by a Premier League club. Tierney may need time to take his game to the next level, but he could prove to be a wise long term investment for the club.