Arsenal: Kalidou Koulibaly, not Sokratis, the step-up required

In their initial search for a centre-half, Arsenal are being linked with moves for Kalidou Koulibaly and Sokratis, but only one offers the step-up required.

I think it’s fair to say that centre-half is a position of need this summer. Even if Laurent Koscielny was scheduled to miss the next six months at least with a ruptured Achilles, such was the poor performance level of many of the Arsenal centre-backs, there are few fans that would be happy if no investment was seen at the position this summer.

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Certainly, it is a position that I stand by. If the Gunners harbour any hopes of challenging for titles and trophies, which they publicly say that they do, then along with a number of other positions, they must spend and spend wisely at centre-half this summer.

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And the early reports suggest that the club agrees. There have been significant rumours linking two European-calibre centre-backs with a move to the Emirates, first Sokratis and then, more recently, Kalidou Koulibally. Sokratis is expected to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer, though a destination is not yet known, while Arsenal have allegedly entered the race to sign £53-million-rated Koulibally.

However, from what I know of these two players, from what I have seen in their games over the past couple of years, and from what people who know the Bundesliga and Serie A far better than I do have told me, only one of these offers a significant upgrade on what is already at the club, that being Koulibaly.

I have long stated that while Arsenal do not need to spend at this position to recruit a replacement for Koscielny and partner for Shkodran Mustafi, it is important that the addition is someone who is a substantial upgrade on what is already available.

Calum Chambers, Rob Holding and Konstantinos Mavropanos are all at or are reaching points in their career when they should be playing frequently. If they are ever to be considered as regular starters for the Gunners, then they need to establish themselves in the starting XI in the next year or so.

And that means that if a new centre-half is to be added to the squad, they must be a clear improvement on Chambers, Holding and Mavropanos. I am not sure that Sokratis is that player. I could be wrong, but from what I know of him, I would be far more comfortable if the boat was pushed out for Koulibaly, not the Dortmund defender.

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It remains to be seen what will come of the position. There isn’t even a manager at the time of writing. That is obviously a far broader issue that will have an impact on every other decision made. But, for me, if spending is to come at centre-half, it needs to be on a clear step-up. Koulibaly is that man. I’m not so sure that Sokratis is.