The Gunners had a near-perfect season in 2023/24 as they finished runners-up to Manchester City in the league. They are now actively scouting the transfer market to find players to improve them further. While Arsenal have the right men for almost every position, the left-back spot seems a bit of a bother. Manager Mikel Arteta has tried various options but hasn’t yet arrived at the perfect solution.
How Arsenal Can Resolve the Left-Back Situation
What Were the Options Used in 2023/24?
Throughout the season Arteta had used Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior at left-back with mixed success. Both possess different traits. While the latter is a better defender the former has a better passing range. Consequently, Zinchenko’s defensive mistakes cost his team dearly in the league and have forced sporting director Edu Gaspar to navigate the market for a reliable player. Takehiro Tomiyasu too was deployed occasionally in the left-back position this season.
Deploy Timber on the Left
When Arsenal started monitoring the Dutch centre-back one of the most appealing aspects was his ability to play seamlessly across the backline. But an injury against Nottingham Forest in August 2023 brought his season to a halt and robbed him of the chance to showcase his versatility. Using him on the left side of the defence will allow Arteta to sell Zinchenko and bring in more funds which can then be spent on other areas like midfield and attack. Thus Jurriën Timber and Kiwior can guard the left flank while Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu guard the right.
Bring Hato to the Emirates
By far this is the most ideal solution. Ajax defender Jorrel Hato seems to be the player Arsenal most desire. He can play on the left and in the heart of the defence. He is just 18 and has already established himself in the first team and even captained his club.
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Standing at six feet he will add further setpiece threat to this Arsenal team. More importantly, he can defend and play excellent passes, making him a good choice for the inverted full-back role. The only hurdle is that he is not ready to move abroad next season. Should he change his mind North London would be the perfect place.
Flip the Tactics Board
Arteta has mostly used Zinchenko as the inverted full-back while White was the overlapping full-back on the right. The English international’s ball-playing ability makes him a good fit for the former role. Hence he can regularly be used there next season. He is used to playing as a defensive midfielder from his time at Leeds and the experience will come in handy. This strategy will prove useful if Timber gets injured again.
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This also means Arteta can give Timber or Tomiyasu the traditional full-back role to cause havoc along the touchline and whip in crosses. Another possibility is that of both Timber and White inverting. This will help to create an overload in the midfield and cut out counterattacks.
Arsenal can be expected to meticulously assess the market and their players during the pre-season before deciding on the left-back issue.
