Arsenal: Domagoj Vida has same problem

Arsenal are being linked with a move for Croatian centre-half Domagoj Vida. But the Besiktas defender has the same problem as many of the summer signings: he’s 29.

As the summer transfer window draws to a close, Arsenal are wrapping up the final details of a remaining few deals and now fully shifting their focus to the season ahead — that is the great benefit of having a transfer window shut before the new season begins.

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Because of their efficiency in the early stages of the window, I had expected the majority of their moves in the final few days to be potential sales, not possible incomings — £70 million on five different players is quite the haul, even for a squad that has as many holes as Arsenal’s. But there are now reports that Sven Mislintat and his transfer elves aren’t done just quite yet.

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According to reports earlier this week, the Gunners are exploring the possibility of a £25 million move for Besiktas defender Domagoj Vida. The thinking is simple: Unai Emery is not completely convinced by the centre-halves he has available. Calum Chambers is set to join Fulham on loan for a year in search of regular playing time. Vida is a defender who is available and could be signed quickly with not much time left to conduct the deal.

While I have my reservations about the Chambers loan, the reasoning is sound, at least from Emery’s questioning perspective of the options that he currently has at his disposal at the position. There is just one problem. It is the same problem that I have with many of the club’s signings this summer and over the past two or three windows. Age.

Vida is 29 years old. He is the same age that Sokratis was when Arsenal’s interest was first made known — by the time the transfer was officially completed, Sokratis had turned 30. Vida is no spring chicken. He is well into his prime, has no more than three or four years left at the top of his game, and has not exactly set the world alight during his career thus far.

While Sokratis was not considered a world-class centre-back, he still carried experience at the European level, was a regular starter for Borussia Dortmund, and had played extensively in the latter stages of the Champions League. Most of Vida’s career has been spent at Dynamo Kyiv. He is currently at Besiktas. Neither are European stalwarts.

That does not mean that he isn’t a good player. I don’t really know if he’s a good player. He looked perfectly fine in the World Cup, but that’s all I’ve seen of him. I can hardly provide an accurate and fair evaluation of his qualities. But that’s not really the point. You see, what I do know is that Vida is probably not going to be a special defender. If he was, his career would not have played out as it has. And if you are signing a 29-year-old to replace a flawed but potentially excellent 23-year-old, he needs to be special.

That is the issue that I have with Vida. His age. Sokratis was not ideal, but I could understand it. I struggle to even comprehend this move.