Over the next week or so I’m going to provide an analysis of Arsenal’s rumoured transfer activity containing player profiles and my opinion on which rumoured players best fit the role required in The Gunners 2014/15 squad.
Since the confirmed departure of Bacary Sagna to Champions League competitors Manchester City, there has been mass speculation around who best to fill the void left by the fullback. Sagna being an experienced Premier League veteran, skilled in attack as well as being rock solid at the back – much like Pablo Zabaleta of Manchester City – grabbing a goal and seven assists for Arsenal this season (Perhaps more if not for Olivier Giroud’s goal drought post December) and saving the team goals countless times; most memorably perhaps, the demonstration of his versatility as he filled in at CB as Arsenal went to 10 men against Sunderland, managing to aid the side to victory.
Arsenal Right Back Targets
So, solid at the back, versatile and competent going forward – not too much to ask right? Right. Which brings us to our first option:
Serge Aurier
The 21 year old Cote d’Ivoire international is quite a renown Arsenal fan, having essentially sold himself to the club via social media sites; having won a place in ligue 1’s team of the season and racking up 6 goals and 7 assists – the Toulouse right back seems the obvious choice for the Gunners. Having displayed his attacking quality more recently at the World Cup for his country, it is clear he’s strong in that aspect of his game, having assisted twice in his first group stage game. The problem then, you may feel, is his concentration and his positioning, he can often get caught high up the pitch, costing his team defensively. He is an attacking fullback who will almost always attempt a take on, winning 48% of them in all competitions last year and retaining a tackle success rate of 65%. Nevertheless, Serge is one of the top attacking fullbacks in world football at the moment, he combines sheer pace with brute strength and can whip in an incisive cross more often than not. Available for £8m euros, he may prove a deal too tempting to resist for Arsene Wenger, especially after seeing Luke Shaw purchased for a mammoth fee of £30m by Manchester United.
Mathieu Debuchy
Newcastle United’s French international would prove a more experienced buy from Wenger, at 28 years old Debuchy would be an option that Carl Jenkinson fans will favour to Serge Aurier, as with around 3 more years at top flight for Debuchy, Jenkinson will have time to develop as second fiddle to him and eventually cementing his place in the first team. I suspect Carl Jenkinson’s performances when called upon are playing on Wenger’s mind when searching for potential Sagna replacements and could potentially force the club to move for an experienced rightback who he could learn from- This is where Debuchy comes in. Premier league experience with a goal and four assists last season in a struggling Newcastle side isnt bad at all and with a higher take on rate than the former by 5%, a much higher aerial duel success rate, Debuchy could be a very wise addition from Le Proffeseur.
These are of course only two options and Wenger make extend his search further, I however see Debuchy as a solid move – a player who displaced Sagna from the national team on more than one occasion can’t be bad – And I’d tip Aurier to be amongst the top five RB’s in Europe within the next four years.
In the end of course, In Arsene we must trust.
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