Arsenal Must Be Transfer Destination Of Matt Miazga

Arsenal is all about signing exceptional talents and Matt Miazga may be one of those rare American cases. With a move set to happen, could it be to Arsenal?

It is not every day that there is reason to be excited about an American footballer coming over to the Premier League. However, this may be one of those days. The Daily Mail is reporting that the ‘hottest soccer star in America’, Matt Miazga, is set to jump across the great Atlantic Pond to join the Premier League by the end of the week.

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Naturally, no one knows where he is headed.

The report indicates that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs have all been scouting the Polish-American talent and that it is only a matter of time.

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The defender currently suits up for the New York Redbulls, where he has become a mainstay at just 20 years of age. However, he did turn down a contract before Christmas and as rumor has it, he would cost around £3.5m. Plus, Miazga has made it clear that he wishes to play in the Premier League. “‘The English Premier League is a very intriguing proposition for me. There is a lot of passion involved; hopefully one day I will have the opportunity to play there,” he said, as quoted in the same report by the Mail.

Miazga is a hulking defender, standing at 191 cm and 84 kg. That puts him well over Laurent Koscielny’s size. Miazga made 28 starts for the New Jersey-based side, adding two substitute appearances as well.

Everything about Miazga screams Arsenal. First of all, he plays for the Redbulls, who have a pretty amiable relationship with Arsenal. In 2014 the Gunners traveled to New York to take on the Redbulls at a time when Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was still with the club.

In terms of what he would bring to the club, Miazga is an aerial menace and a star defensive pupil. He wins 4.5 aerial duels per appearance as well as over two tackles and three interceptions per match. The only weakness that he has shown is discipline, as he has wracked up his fair share of yellow (four) and red (two) cards. That’s probably not something Arsenal fans want to see when envisioning Miazga playing against Diego Costa and Chelsea.

However, as was proven with Francis Coquelin, Wenger can fix stuff like discipline.

In the case of bringing someone over from the MLS, it would have to be an exceptional talent. While the MLS is growing in skill and relevance, they are still several steps behind European football. It would not be surprising to see Miazga’s defensive statistics cut in half while he acclimates. Given that he is just 20, though, there is plenty of time to let him acclimate.

Miazga already has the prerequisites to make it in England. He has tremendous intelligence, much like Mertesacker. However, unlike Mertesacker he does not have the accompanying lack of pace. He is also strong and athletic enough not to get bullied, something Mertesacker can also have trouble with. Not only that, but aside from being tall, Miazga also has the ability to make himself even taller with good jumping abilities.

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Given the American-Polish split, Miazga already has a Polish passport. As such, he would not require a work permit. Given Arsenal’s history with acquiring permits, this is fantastic news and another pro tying him to Arsenal.

The main reason that a move to Arsenal seems completely believable is because of the sheer fact that he plays central defense. Once Mertesacker and Koscielny are out of the picture, Arsenal will be left with Paulista, Chambers and not much else behind them. Grooming Miazga now would be incredibly beneficial.

While the report indicates that he must be given the chance to play, Arsenal can actually offer him that right off the bat as well. Arsenal have a need. Chambers could be construed as the fourth central defender, but it’s not like Miazga would be facing insurmountable odds like he would at other powerhouses in the EPL.

You can never have too much defense. Likewise, as Arsenal have been known to prove, you can most certainly have too little defense. And with in a few years, barring any signings, Arsenal will have too little.

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We will keep you posted as to where the young Polish American is headed. Hopefully Wenger does not pass him up.