Arsene Wenger has ensured there is a plan in place should he lose both Carl Jenkinson and Mathieu Debuchy later this month.
Arsenal fans were concerned for the welfare of the Gunners defence after it was confirmed he would let two of his right-back’s pack their bags for regular football.
Debuchy is still searching for a switch back to France, whilst Jenkinson just has personal terms to agree with Crystal Palace as part of a £3million permanent move.
But in all of the uncertainty, Wenger has opened up about his options during his pre-Burnley press conference, confirming that he will look for a more internal resource.
With Hector Bellerin our first-choice, Wenger has insisted Gabriel will now become the club’s second in the pecking order for the right full-back position.
During the process, he even managed to make a little dig at Debuchy, suggesting that he wouldn’t get a look-in now that Gabriel and Bellerin are both back and fully fit.
This could also mean there’s a chance for Rob Holding to push on and become the back-up centre back for upcoming FA Cup ties and Champions League games to deal with.
Per Mertesacker is also set to rejoin the squad after recovering from an injury sustained back in pre-season which ultimately forced Wenger to go out and snap up Shkodran Mustafi.
I must admit, I’ve never really had confidence in Gabriel at right-back but I think it finally offers us a bit of stability in that position, because there was too much dependance on Bellerin.
Wenger isn’t going to go out into the market and find someone that’s at Bellerin’s level and happy to sit on the bench as second choice, so Gabriel is the perfect solution.
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