Arsenal: Summer is the best to time to solve defensive issues

The defence of Arsenal has been the subject of numerous column inches this season but waiting until the summer to solve the defensive issues makes sense.

The leaky defence of Arsenal has been the subject of numerous column inches this season and frustration has grown in recent weeks at the club’s lack of action during the January transfer window. With Unai Emery confirming that he can only pursue loan deals in this window, waiting until the summer to try and solve the longstanding defensive issues makes more sense.

The systematic issues that have plagued Arsenal’s defence for a number of years are not a simple fix. Many good, and bad, players in red and white have floundered against pacey attacks over the last ten years and these familiar failings are something that Unai Emery will have become increasingly aware of.

The club looked to address these issues in the summer, adding athleticism to the midfield with Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira, and experience to the backline in Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Stephan Lichtsteiner. They also added Bernd Leno in goal.

Barring Lichtsteiner, all four players seem to have added something to the side defensively, but teething problems were inevitable. Emery has also been forced to look at different combinations and formations because of injuries, which has perpetuated the problem.

Although, there have been clear signs of change, with Arsenal appearing more able both to defend from the front through an aggressive press and face up to physicality in midfield. Sead Kolasinac has improved defensively, likely as a result of work on the training ground, while Sokratis and Laurent Koscielny looked to have been forming a sold partnership.

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Despite the small positive signs, at times the defence has been found wanting of what is expected from a top level back four. The defensive line is often organised, they remain susceptible to fast breaks, positioning has lacked intelligence and they still struggle to deal with the aerial battle.

These are problems however, that can’t simply be solved with a last-minute loan deal. Arsenal need to look at players that can fit the system Emery wants to play and can perform for the club for years to come. They need a change in defensive culture, players that can create a sustainable platform for the rest of the team. Building a defence that lasts takes time and it is something Arsenal have neglected for too long.

When Emery says that he has numbers to see out this season, he is not lying. He can still call upon Mustafi, Monreal, Mavrapanos and Koscielny in the centre, while Sokratis is out for just a month. Zach Medley has also shown promise and can perhaps make the step up.

Equally, the club’s struggle to complete deals in other areas of the pitch shows just how hard it is to get quality in January. Arsenal proved last season that it can be done, but it comes at a price in terms of transfer fees and wages that they can no longer afford.

Unless there is an outstanding candidate therefore, which there doesn’t appear to be, it is likely a short-term loan would prove costly and not necessarily an upgrade in terms of quality.

Emery did announce this week that there would be money to spend in the summer and considering Arsenal could need as many as four defenders, it makes sense to wait and make signings that will last.