Arsenal: Mathieu Debuchy can still play important role with Gunners

Arsenal’s Mathieu Debuchy hasn’t played for Arsenal for quite some time, maybe its time to try and switch things up. He’s not a solution, but he’s different. And that can be a good thing.

Mathieu Debuchy was brought in to replace the departing Bacary Sagna in the summer of 2014. Now, he has been linked with a move away from North London to West Brom. Has he failed to deliver on what was expected of him or is he getting a bad rap at Arsenal?

Arsene Wenger seem to forget that he has a perfectly capable right back in Debuchy. With calls for Hector Bellerin to be dropped and in the formation that we play, Mathieu Debuchy would be the obvious pick right?  You’d be wrong, Calum Chambers and Reiss Nelson have been called upon more frequently to cover the speedy Spaniard.

Chambers, although young and inexperienced, is still a capable deputy, but he’s a centre back. He seems to thrive in that role along Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny. He isn’t as fast or as technical as Hector Bellerin.

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Reiss Nelson has the potential to be a world beater and he has shown that in glimpses. He needs to be deployed in his proper position which is right wing, not right wing back.

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Mathieu Debuchy, on the other hand, is very capable physically and technically. As a youngster, he was deployed as a deep-lying play-maker in midfield and he can use that on the flank. He may not be always fit, but he is fit currently.

He has been nursing quite a few injuries over the years which has limited his game time with Arsenal. When he has played, he’s played very well and actually got a goal for himself in the Europa League. He defends well and is always a trusted outlet on the right.

I’m not saying that he’s the savior and that we don’t need to sign a back up right back, maybe just use him as cover for when Bellerin gets tired or hits a rough patch of form. Arsene Wenger needs to consider his fellow Frenchman.

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Maybe a consistent run of games or maybe just a few here and there could really help him. He used to be a stellar right back, the first choice of the French National team. But now he’s been reduced to a half decent squad player.