Arsenal: Filipe Luis in the same category as Stephan Lichtsteiner

Arsenal landed a hidden gem for free in Stephan Lichtsteiner and it looks like they may be looking for the same in Filipe Luis. Fricking do it!

Arsenal were pretty smart with their summer additions. They landed nearly every position they needed, barring wingers, which proved to be just a bit too expensive, and a project for another time. But even with how many exciting signings they made, the smartest signing off them all had to be Stephan Lichtsteiner.

The 34-year-old has been a mainstay in a very successful Juventus outfit for years and years and he has made a name for himself as a gritty, hard-nosed player that is literally a nightmare for opposing attackers to go up against.

Many of us fans expected him to be nothing more than a veteran guide, but the first time he was introduced, we saw much more than that and I wasn’t alone in calling for him to start because he was such a vital piece to what seemed like what we wanted out of the defense – a defender. And a mean one, at that.

Now, the Gunners are being linked to another aged, long-respected defender. This time it is Filipe Luis, the Atletico Madrid leftback who is out of contract come next summer. Luis is still a reliable starter on the Spanish side, which factors into why Unai Emery is so interested in him.

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Prior to this summer, I would have scoffed at Luis. A (will be) 34-year-old defender on a team that is building for the future? That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

However, seeing what Lichtsteiner still has, and seeing how much he can bring to this team (I really wish they’d start him more), I am all about getting another proven veteran for free, especially seeing as how Lichtsteiner’s contract expires next summer (please, give him another year or three).

These veteran guys may be a solution of sorts for an undisciplined back line. If we have fullbacks like Lichtsteiner and Luis, we have four true defenders hack there, whose primary focus is defending. Maybe a bit of the attack is lost, but that’s the point of having so many talented attackers – to let them attack and to let the defenders defend.

Maybe it isn’t the sexy fix, but I think it’s a bit of a hidden solution, just like Lichtsteiner could be if given the chance.