After taking over at Arsenal at the start of the season, Unai Emery has revitalized the Gunners. The North London side recently completed a stunning Europa League comeback against Rennes at the Emirates. The manager is also unbeaten in his last five Premier League games. Emery has done a massive job at Arsenal ever since replacing the great Arsene Wenger. The team is looking likely to finish in the top four even after considerably spending less than its other rivals (except Tottenham Hotspur).
Unai Emery Needs Nico Elvedi
Player Profile: Nico Elvedi
Although the London side are performing quite well, there are some defensive reinforcements Emery must make to take the club to the next level. Stephan Lichtsteiner and Shkodran Mustafi, in particular, have been Arsenal’s weak links in defence this season. Arsenal have one of the worst defensive records in the top six this season. Emery needs to make his defence stronger by adding Borussia Monchengladbach’s Nico Elvedi to his side.
The Swiss defender has been one of Bundesliga’s best defenders so far this season with his incredible efforts. Having kept 11 clean sheets in 26 games, Monchengladbach have the second-best defence in the Bundesliga and the 22-year-old centre-back has had a big part in their defensive wall. Currently fourth in the Bundesliga, the German club are targeting the Champions League next season. Elvedi has been Bundesliga’s Virgil van Dijk this campaign.
Averaging 1.4 successful tackles every game with 1.5 interceptions, some of his numbers are also better than Liverpool’s Dutch centre-back. Playing at the heart of Monchengladbach’s defence, the Swiss international has performed quite consistently this season. He is very strong in the air, averaging 2.5 successful aerial duels every game. His fantastic tackling and blocks add more sauce to his game. Having scored two goals this season, Elvedi is a big threat when it comes to attacking set-pieces in the opposition box. He also possesses a fair amount of concentration that keeps him alert during any situations at the back.
Perfect For Arsenal and Emery
At Arsenal, the Swiss international can be a partner to Sokratis Papastathopoulos or young Rob Holding at the centre-back position. He can replace Shkodran Mustafi or veteran Laurent Koscielny in order to make the Arsenal’s defence more solid. The young defender can help Emery in his quest to re-establish the Gunners as the undisputed kings of England once again.
In order to challenge for different titles next season, the former Sevilla manager would require a lot of quality and consistency from his defence and the 22-year-old has both. He is quite underrated and would be just the bargain signing for Emery and Arsenal need. For Elvedi, a move to the Emirates would be massive.
The 22-year-old is still young and would relish the Premier League challenge. It would be perfect for him to make his dream move to England. At Arsenal, he will be playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. He definitely has the ability and the hunger in him that would help Arsenal achieve great heights in European football again.
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