Arsenal: The pros and cons of unknown Walter Kanneman

Arsenal are being linked with a move for Walter Kanneman. The Argentinian defender is almost completely unknown. There are pros and cons to that.

With the summer transfer window looming, I am expecting a fair few names to be linked with Arsenal over the next few weeks and months. Some names will be familiar; others will not. Given the tight transfer budget, it is likely that many will be a part of the latter category.

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There’s one name that Arsenal have already been linked with over the last couple of days who most definitely falls in the unfamiliar bracket: Walter Kannemann, a 28-year-old centre-half plying his trade in South America for Brazilian club Gremio.

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It’s not the first time they have been linked with him either. Kanneman’s name was brought up a few months ago in the January transfer window. With a reported release clause in the region of £10 million, you can see why Unai Emery’s interest has peaked.

According to his profile, Kannemann is believed to be one of the best central defenders in South America and was called up to the Argentinian first team last year, clocking up five caps so far. On paper, it is an underwhelming transfer with some fans calling it a typical Gunners transfer. There is certainly an argument to be made for that.

But with the transfer budget restraints, the club cannot really expect to be signing a Matthijs de Ligt or Samuel Umtiti.

There is a certain sense of intrigue about Kannemann, as there is with all obscure signings. He would certainly add experience to the backline and an element of ruggedness that you often see with certain Argentinian defenders like Ezequiel Garay and Federico Fazio. Over the last couple of years, he has also added trophies to his game, winning the Brazilian league twice with his current club Gremio, the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamerica.

There are negatives, obviously. How will he adapt to the Premier League coming from South America and having no European experience whatsoever? Would it not be best to sign a defender more suited to the European and Premier League style? There are players closer to home who would be within Arsenal’s budget, someone say like Lewis Dunk of Brighton who has adapted to the top division of English football.

Dunk is obviously not an elite centre-half, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he does have experience of English football, something that the previously unknown Kanneman does not.

There are players out there who are unheard of who are great footballers, just waiting to move to the bigger leagues to get the recognition they deserve. Maybe that someone is Kannemann. Or maybe it will just be another underwhelming Arsenal transfer. Either way, there are reasons to be both hopeful and cautious with these links.