Arsenal: All roads point to one Rob Holding eventuality

Arsenal are reportedly set to make a series of moves at the centre-half position. Allied with the selection decisions made in the closing stages of last season, all roads point towards a Rob Holding loan.

I am writing this on the afternoon on June 7th. I tell you that rather boring and inconsequential tidbit because this is indeed peak transfer season. From early June right through to the deadline, which this year comes on Augst 9th as English clubs voted for the window to shut before the commencement of the new season, the rumours are rife, the hope is great and the frustration is greater.

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Indeed, for Arsenal, these past two weeks or so have been riddled with a series of reports, some more convincing than others. The position that has been at the heart of this discussion and rumour is centre-half, perhaps not all that surprisingly, given the defensive weaknesses of the team last year.

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The most prominent rumour, which is very slowly turning into a saga and driving me somewhat insane, is Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Borussia Dortmund. The Greek has been on the verge of signing for nearly two weeks and seems like a question of ‘when’, not ‘if’. But there have been plenty of suggestions that Arsenal want more than just Sokratis.

Caglar Soyuncu and Benjamin Pavard have both been strongly linked with a move to the Emirates, while more established names like Kalidou Koulibaly and Kostas Manolas have more tentatively surfaced as possible recruits. Irrespective of the truthfulness of each individual rumour — I have some serious doubt concerning many of them –, there is a theme developing: Sven Mislintat et al. are looking for quantity and quality.  And that spells trouble for one player in particular.

Even though he signed a new long-term contract extension in the closing weeks of last season, Rob Holding has clearly slipped down the pecking order. Calum Chambers almost immediately usurped him upon his return from a year-long loan at Middlesbrough, while January signing Konstantinos Mavropanos started three successive league games ahead of and alongside Holding to close out the league campaign.

If Arsenal did make two additions at the position, one of them being Sokratis and another being a younger, more long-term prospect, though one that is presumably ahead of Holding in their development, then that would leave them with seven starting-calibre centre-backs once Laurent Koscielny returns to fitness, and that is without factoring in Nacho Monreal who can be used there if needed. There is no point in keeping Holding if he is sitting at the bottom of those seven.

That is not to say that he should be sold. He is still a talented defender who should be kept on the books for a few more years yet, and the long-term contract extension indicates that the club is thinking precisely that. But all roads are certainly pointing to a loan exit this summer, very much like Chambers two years ago.

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Holding, at this point in his career, needs to be playing. It is difficult to see how that will be possible at Arsenal. A loan seems like the best course of action at this present time.