Berta is already at work on Arsenal's summer recruitmentBerta is already at work on Arsenal's summer recruitment
Berta is already at work on Arsenal's summer recruitment | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal are said to be interested in a defender ahead of the summer, and it should be seen as a good sign to Gunners fans.
Andrea Berta and Arsenal may already be well aware of one of their weaknesses as the summer transfer window approaches. The Gunners have endured a disappointing campaign, failing to win silverware and now in a battle to keep hold of second place, with Newcastle United able to leapfrog them with a win this weekend.
The Gunners already look to be pushing ahead with summer transfer plans ahead of the window opening, with new sporting director Berta seemingly raring to go. Arsenal cannot afford another season without silverware next time around, with the club continuing to pour hundreds of millions into their title dream, and it’s likely a significant chunk of change will be spent this summer.
But this is not a case of Arsenal needing to put the cherry on the cake. The reality is that the Gunners need to add quality to a number of positions, while they also need more depth in a number of areas. Alongside a starting striker, Arsenal could do with depth at left-back, centre-back, midfield and out wide.
The Gunners may need to pick and choose when it comes to strengthening those areas, but one they may well have to strengthen is centre-back. While Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are the starting centre-backs, Arteta will be concerned about the lack of depth he has behind those players.
Jakub Kiwior has deputised for Gabriel of late, but he has been heavily linked with an exit, seemingly wanting more regular game time. Arsenal can also rely on Jurrien Timber, Ben While and Riccardo Calafiori, but Arteta prefers all of those players as full-backs. There is no genuine competition for Gabriel and Saliba, and that’s always an issue, with competition required to get the very best out of players.
“Chelsea and Arsenal have been in regular contact over the past 24 hours to understand what happens, if they can still enter the race in case the deal collapses. Liverpool left the conversation more than 24 hours ago because they understood the player was giving total priority to Real Madrid.” Huijsen is said to have a release clause worth £50million.
Arsenal know they have a weakness
The reassuring part of this report is that Berta and Arteta seem to be aware that they have a weakness within their squad. Centre-back is one of those areas where they can convince themselves they have sufficient depth because of the players who can play there.
But as has been shown in the wing position at times this season, regardless of whether you have two top-quality starters, if you don’t have serious competition for those players, offering the threat of being dropped for poor performance, you are never going to consistently get the best out of those players.
If the Gunners want to compete for the biggest titles, they need to provide that competition for Gabriel and Saliba, and it should be reassuring to Arsenal fans that Berta and Arteta are seeing where they need to strengthen more purposefully than they have in recent windows.
Continue Reading