5 Centre-Backs for Arsenal to Target in This Transfer Window
Arsenal need improvements right through the spine of the side this summer. Having added Granit Xhaka to their midfield, their scouts will now be turning their attentions to opposing ends of the pitch: The Gunners need a centre-forward and a centre-half.
Arsene Wenger has four centre-backs on his books: Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers.
However, the Frenchman seemed unsure which of Mertesacker and Gabriel was better suited to playing alongside first-choice Koscielny last season. Chambers remains too inexperienced, and the best solution may be to bring someone in.
In this piece we identify five central defenders Wenger could target in the current transfer window. Read on to discover the first in this list of Koscielny’s potential partners.
Kostas Manolas
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Arsenal have known of Greece international Kostas Manolas in some time. They were heavily linked with him during the 2014 World Cup, with John Cross of the Mirror even going so far as to suggest they had held negotiations with his club side:
"Arsene Wenger is hopeful of completing a £6 million deal for Greek defender Kostas Manolas.
Arsenal are having negotiations with Olympiacos for the 23-year-old centre half who has also been on Juventus’s hit-list.
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Ultimately, a deal could not be agreed, and Manolas ended up moving to AS Roma in Serie A.
Over the past two seasons, Wenger’s initial curiosity has been justified by Manolas’ development into one of Europe’s most reliable centre-halves. According to Goal, the Gunners are now preparing to revive their interest.
Manolas is 28 now and arriving at his peak. Crucially, he has the intelligence and flexibility to operate on either side of the central defence, and he has even excelled in a back three. That means his arrival would give Wenger plenty of options; he could partner Koscielny and also cover for him in his absence.
What’s certain is that Manolas would now cost far more than the £6 million that was mooted back in 2014. No matter: Wenger may be prepared to pay what’s necessary to finally get his man.
John Stones
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Robert Pires knows his football. What’s more, he knows Arsenal. Not only did he represent the club during the peak of his career, but he still trains regularly with the first team to this day.
He seems in little doubt about which defender Arsenal should move for this summer. Speaking in a promotional video (h/t the Mirror's Thomas Bristow), Pires said that Everton’s John Stones “would be a good player for Arsenal … Imagine Stones and [Laurent] Koscielny at the back, would be a good defence."
In some ways, the 22-year-old is an ideal choice for Wenger. He’s quick, strong and highly technically gifted. Not since Rio Ferdinand’s emergence have England had a defender with such natural ability on the ball.
However, he remains prone to defensive errors. Last season, he struggled for consistency under Roberto Martinez and even found himself dropped from the side for significant spells. Stones’ form recovered sufficiently for him to be selected for Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2016 squad, but it is noticeable that he cannot earn a start in an unconvincing England defence.
That could just be down to inexperience. Stones is showing signs that he could eventually develop into a top-class centre-half. However, two questions remain. Firstly, is Wenger the right coach to sharpen his defensive instincts? Secondly, can Arsenal afford to suffer the consequences while Stones learns his trade on the field?
Although he has plenty of potential, it may be worth waiting for Stones to kick on before making a move.
Medhi Benatia
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Some Arsenal fans might have felt the club should have targeted Borussia Dortmund’s dominant centre-half, Mats Hummels. However, any bid for the defender would surely have been doomed: the German international instead moved to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
That may set off a chain reaction that could ultimately benefit Arsenal. Hummels’ arrival has cast doubt over the future of Medhi Benatia.
Citing reports in France from Foot Mercato, TalkSport report that the Gunners are prepared to pounce and bring the 29-year-old from the Allianz Arena to the Emirates Stadium.
The concern for Arsenal will Benatia’s extensive list of injury problems. The defender told Kicker (h/t Goal):
"I can't explain why I am injured that often.
[...]
I have three years contract left in Munich. If Bayern want me to leave - no problem. If they want me to stay - I will stay.
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When Benatia does start, he tends to be effective. Signing a player with his fitness issues would be a calculated gamble, and Arsenal would hope to see that reflected in the asking price.
Kalidou Koulibaly
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Although Gonzalo Higuain was the obvious star of Napoli’s 2015/16 campaign, the contribution of defender Kalidou Koulibaly should not be overlooked. The Serie A side conceded just 32 goals in their 38 league games, and the powerful Senegal international has been instrumental in that success.
The 24-year-old’s performances have had the pundits raving. According to Adam Digby for FourFourTwo, Sky Italia’s Zvonimir Boban has said:
"Koulibaly's improvement isn't notable, it’s extreme. For me, he's among the best in the world and he can still improve. He's matured in everything; character, technique... he now comes out with the ball in such an impeccable way and is always physically dominant. I think Napoli have uncovered a champion.
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His height and power could make him a natural replacement for Per Mertesacker, and an obvious complement to Laurent Koscielny.
According to Jeremy Wilson of the Telegraph, Koulibaly could cost as much as £20 million. Wenger may consider that a small price to pay for a player with the potential to be at the heart of Arsenal’s defence for years to come.
Jeison Murillo
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Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Serie A supplies many of these potential defensive transfer targets. The Italian league has long held a reputation for disciplined intelligent football with a focus on clean sheets.
Jeison Murillo is a player very much in that tradition. Although not Italian himself—he is a Colombia international—he has flourished at Inter Milan. He joined from Granada in February 2015 and has subsequently developed into one of the side’s key players.
Ideally, Inter would retain Murillo to allow him to continue his partnership with Miranda in the centre of their back four. However, according to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t International Business Times), Inter are willing to part ways with Murillo if the interest club could match their asking price of €25 million (£19 million).
That’s not an unreasonable price to pay for an international-class centre-back. Perhaps Wenger will soon be reuniting Murillo with fellow Colombian David Ospina in north London.
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