Arsenal: Fernando Calero shows head and heart in right place

Arsenal need defensive help, but they don’t yet need a defensive revolution. Enter Fernando Calero, the sensible alternative to ridiculousness.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Arsenal don’t need to rip out the roots of this defense and start from scratch. Despite giving up over 50 goals last year, they didn’t need it then either. They had a wide array of personnel, all absolutely capable, they just needed a defensive philosophy adjustment.

Unai Emery is working towards that but, in the meantime, he does need some things addressed. Like the fact that Rob Holding is out for the year, or that Laurent Koscielny doesn’t have much longer.

That is where a nice, young, sensible investment comes into play. Someone who can be bought on the cheap, who can be added to the mix and start to introduce some more options to a defensive line that is starting to show improvements.

Fernando Calero could be that guy. The Real Valladolid centerback is 23 years old, right in the realm of Rob Holding and Calum Chambers (assuming Chambers has a future at the club) and he has only recently made his debut at the senior level.

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But he’s been making the most of it. Valladolid currently have the fourth best defense in all of La Liga, and have surrendered less goals than everyone in the top seven, barring Atletico Madrid. Calero has started every single game in the progress of that impressive achievement, so, suffice to say, he has been on top of his game.

According to the rumors, Calero would not consider leaving Valladolid in January, and especially not for his budget-friendly £10m release clause. The report indicates that he wants to make sure his club get a fair price if he is to leave them.

But even twice that amount might be considered fair and still qualify as “budget-friendly” for an always budgeting Arsenal club.

Remember, we don’t need to spend Manchester-like money on this defense. Building blocks are in place, we just need to give Unai Emery some more creativity with who can fit his plan the best. Calero might be that guy, he might now. But one thing is for sure – if Mislintat likes him, then I like him, and everyone else should like him too. Clearly our head is in the right place, aiming for a cheaper option, but our heart is too, as he could be exactly what is needed.

Plus it never hurts to get younger. Who doesn’t like the idea of having a self-sustaining defense for the next decade?