Arsenal Transfer: 10 Possible Replacements for Kieran Gibbs

Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs is a liability in Arsène Wenger's back four. 

Gibbs is a good tackler but his positional awareness leaves a lot to be desired. 

If you don't agree with this analysis, you only need to think back to the team's 2008-09 UEFA Champions League semifinal's second leg against Manchester United. 

Park Ji-Sung took advantage of Gibbs tripping over himself because he was blind-sided by the South Korean. 

Yesterday against Tottenham Hotspur, Gibbs failed to track Louis Saha for the first goal and then left Wojciech Szczęsny in between a rock and a hard place by not getting in front of Gareth Bale—resulting in a penalty to Spurs. 

Aside from those two big mistakes, Arsenal supporters will tell you that Gibbs had a great game, which couldn't be further from the truth.   

I'm still not sold on him nor am I sold on André Santos. However both players are excellent when going forward because you have pace with Gibbs and creativity with Santos. 

Just seems so imbalanced that Wenger has a world-class right-back in Bacary Sagna but mediocre options at left-back. 

Here are 10 possible summer replacements for Gibbs. 

Taye Taïwo, Queens Park Rangers (on Loan from AC Milan), Age: 26

How was Armand Traoré an option at left-back for Arsenal? 

He was so bad for Queens Park Rangers that the club decided to sign Taye Taïwo on loan, who was warming the benches at AC Milan. 

Taïwo is built like a tank, loves to play incisive passes, has an excellent work rate and would fit into Arsenal's philosophy. 

Though he has given away the ball 40 times in four games for QPR.

Emilio Izaguirre, Celtic, Age: 25

This season, Emilio Izaguirre's broken ankle forced Celtic to try Adam Matthews, Badr El Kaddouri, Charles Mulgrew and Joe Ledley at left-back—none lived up to Izaguirre's standards.  

The season before, Izaguirre was easily the best player in the Scottish Premier League, let alone the best left-back. 

He has an excellent cross, good acceleration and makes great runs off the ball. 

Dennis Aogo, Hamburg, Age: 25

When in possession, Dennis Aogo can be dangerous because he can send in an accurate cross and is solid set-piece taker. 

From a defensive perspective, Aogo reads the play well as evident with his 53 interceptions this season. 

Erik Pieters, PSV Eindhoven, Age: 23

Erik Pieters will offer defensive solidity with his physical presence and his safety-first approach. 

With Bacary Sagna and Pieters, Arsenal's flanks would be locked down, thus ensuring there is no Achilles' heel in the full-back positions. 

Jérémy Mathieu, Valencia, Age: 28

Jérémy Mathieu is a quiet achiever for Valencia and generally goes unnoticed. 

He's one of those players who generally always gives a 6.5/10 performance. This season, he's won back possession 103 times whilst keeping most opposing wingers at bay. 

His 6'3" frame should see him fit well with the physical element of the Premier League. 

Domenico Criscito, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Age: 25

Luciano Spalletti made a wise decision when he signed compatriot Domenico Criscito from Genoa. 

In a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, Criscito shut down the skillful Alex Teixeira. When Zenit Saint Petersburg drew with Porto, Criscito put in 11 tackles and dominated Djalma. 

Criscito is a smart and dedicated footballer who will have no issues adjusting to the Premier League's up-tempo play. 

Dídac Vilà, Espanyol (on Loan from AC Milan), Age: 22

I've been impressed with Espanyol's Dídac Vilà, who probably doesn't have a future at AC Milan after they bought Djamel Mesbah to compete with Luca Antonini. 

Vilà is physically imposing tackle-happy defender. Tackle-happy meaning 95 successful tackles this season. 

Don't be deterred by the fact that Vilà isn't good enough for Milan, because Patrick Vieira was just a squad player to the Italian club. 

Chris Löwe, Borussia Dortmund, Age: 22

Chris Löwe did a great job filling in for Marcel Schmelzer, who has yet to find his 2010-11 form and in fact hasn't played better than Löwe. 

Arsenal poached Thomas Eisfeld from Borussia Dortmund and they should also poach Löwe. 

The youngster ran himself in the ground, put his body on the line as he blocked shots and looked confident when going forward. 

Henri Bedimo, Montpellier, Age: 27

Henri Bedimo can run up and down the left flank the entire game, which is a testament to his fitness. 

There are a lot of similarities between him and Hérita Ilunga. Provided Bedimo can play several good seasons instead of one outstanding season, Bedimo would be a bargain buy. 

Christian Fuchs, Schalke, Age: 25

Christian Fuchs has it all: set-piece taking, great stamina, solid crossing and a hard tackling. 

He's created 42 shots for his teammates from left-back whilst making 62 tackles and intercepting the ball 69 times. 

He's provided 10 assists this season, three more than Aaron Ramsey. 

That being said, Fuchs has been caught out of position on several occasions, but that's generally due to his teammates turning the ball over when he's sprinting up the left flank. 

Please read 11 Hottest Names Linked to Gunners so Far.