Arsenal: Eric Bailly a good deal or not?

Arsenal have been tentatively linked with a possible move for Manchester United defender Eric Bailly. However, would the deal actually be a good one or not?

It is always the case that Arsenal will be linked with unhappy, out-of-favour, unused players from the best clubs in the Premier League and throughout Europe. Whether the rumours are true or not, no one rarely knows, but they are always present.

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The latest potential acquisition is Eric Bailly from Manchester United, the central defender has reportedly fallen out of favour with Jose Mourinho and is wanting a move away from Old Trafford. Some reports suggest that the Gunners could be the club to give him one. While the truthfulness of the reports can — and should — be questioned, it still makes sense to ponder the efficacy of such a deal.

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There are cases for this being a great move for Arsenal. With Bailly only being 24 years old and a huge commanding presence in the centre of defence, — he’s strong, quick and will be an aerial threat in both penalty areas, something that Arsenal have missed since the days of Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure — there’s good reason for believing that he could be a potential long-term solution to the club’s centre-half problems.

With Laurent Koscielny nearing retirement age, becoming more injury and error prone, and Sokratis a good but only short-term option, you feel that Arsenal would reap the benefits of getting Bailly’s best years. It’s well known that Unai Emery is still looking to add to his defence despite the summer signing of Sokratis, with question marks still being asked over the form of Shkodran Mustafi. Could Bailly be the man to supplant the German as a more consistent and reliable option?

Well, perhaps now. You have to look at the negative points to the transfer as well. If Manchester United were to sell, they would be looking for a considerable profit on the £30 million they paid for Bailly back in 2016. With Arsenal’s reported transfer budget being limited, whatever is paid would probably take a huge chunk of it and, with other areas in the squad still needing better options, he will be likely out of a reasonable price range.

There is also the case of what would happen to the young defenders coming through. Rob Holding looks much improved under Emery and, although I’m still not convinced, there’s no telling what kind of player Calum Chambers will be when he returns from Fulham next summer. Emery does seem to rate him as well, handing him a new long-term contract in the summer, so it wouldn’t make sense to sell him.

Let’s also not forget Konstantinos Mavropanos, who has impressed in limited opportunities. It’s easy to overlook these young players, deeming them not ready to handle a full workload and too inexperienced to be relied upon, but, at some point, you have to make the jump and take the risk. Why not now?

It’s a transfer that will likely divide opinion. There are clear reasons to and not to attempt a signing. Personally, I would be for bringing Bailly to the Emirates. There’s too much potential to not make a move. But there are reasons for caution, and they should be listened to.