Arsenal: Are we talking about left-back enough?

Arsenal have a great many needs. They have gone about filling as many as possible already. However, is there one that everyone is missing? Are we talking about left-back enough?

Arsenal had a scary amount of positions to address when they entered the summer transfer window. That much was certain. Fortunately, they have gone about their business quickly, efficiently and hopefully effectively, all but signing four players who directly help at positions that many had identified as key needs.

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Such were the extent of the problems at centre-half, goalkeeper and midfield, it was, and still is, easy to overlook other positions in the squad that are perhaps in need of some investment, even if they fall down the pecking order a little.

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One of those positions is left-back. Because of Nacho Monreal’s consistent form last season, especially from an offensive standpoint where he achieved a career-best five league goals, including some vital ones, it easy to underestimate the problems that Arsenal had at the position once Arsene Wenger shifted to a back-four and the left wing-back position was changed to a traditional left-back one.

Monreal was only fit for certain periods and often played at centre-half in the 3-4-3, Sead Kolasinac struggled greatly at left-back, even if his offensive performances at wing-back were impressive, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles had to fill in at the position on a number of occasions. But Maitland-Niles is most certainly not a left-back and cannot be considered as such entering next season.

As a result, Unai Emery only has two choices available to him at the position: An ageing defender who has looked vastly more comfortable at centre-half, is slowing down after a career of lacking the natural pace and athleticism for the position, and is starting to struggle with injuries more frequently; or a bombarding, marauding tank who has seemingly not been taught how to defend, struggles against smaller, shiftier wingers, of which the Premier League has many, and is not the most reliable, consistent option for a full season.

And yet, when it comes to the work that Arsenal must do in this transfer window, left-back is rarely mentioned. Obviously, positions like centre-half and defensive midfield are the first to be named. But even winger, a ball-playing midfielder and right-back come before left-back. It feels as though people are overlooking it.

Now, I am not saying that Unai Emery and co. need to abandon their pursuit of Lucas Torreira and shift the resources that they were going to spend on the midfield and invest them into a new left-back. There are priorities and the midfield should come before left-back. Unquestionably. But there is a lack of talk about the potential problems that left-back could cause next season.

Next: Arsenal: 3 positions that need addressing cheaply

Let me put it this way, I would not be surprised if by the end of next season we are all bemoaning the lack of a left-back and have it ranked as the number one priority for the club to address in the summer window. It’s not an issue yet. But it could very easily become one. It is not time for Arsenal to be proactive in their business?