Arsenal: Revamping the much-troubled left flank

Arsenal have had bids for Kieran Tierney and Wilfried Zaha rejected. They are clearly trying to completely revamp their much-troubled left flank.

After a rather slow and hesitant start to the summer transfer window, it seems as though as Arsenal are beginning to make moves to bolster what was a rather lacking and shorthanded squad. And there is a very clear focus to these moves: the left flank.

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On July 1st, the Gunners submitted an official for only their second player of the summer, a £40 million bid made to Crystal Palace for star winger Wilfried Zaha. This follows to unsuccessful offers for Celtic defender Kieran Tierney last week.

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Zaha is an out-and-out left winger. He can plausibly play on the right side too, but he is at his best when he is driving at an isolated defender on the left flank with the opportunity to cut inside and unleash a shot on goal off his right foot. Tierney, meanwhile, is a perfect modern-day left-back. Athletic, powerful, offensively productive without sacrificing defensive positioning, he has been superb for Celtic at left-back throughout his young career.

In both cases, there is a long way to go. Arsenal offered half of Palace’s £80 million valuation of Zaha and certainly do not have the finances to match that mark, while Celtic seem insistent on £25 million for Tierney, which is still £7 million more than any offer at present received. Nevertheless, even if these deals are not completed, Unai Emery’s intentions are laid bare: he wanted to overhaul the left flank. And I can hardly blame him.

Left-back, especially, was a major problem for Emery last season. Clearly wanting to play with a back four, the Arsenal head coach was often forced into playing with wing-backs in large part because of his full-back options, especially as Sead Kolasinac’s defensive shortcomings were exposed and exploited.

Similarly, the wing positions were huge weaknesses throughout the year. Alex Iwobi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang performed admirably at times, but none are natural wingers with the inherent feel and skill set for the position like Zaha. It is a comparable improvement to Tierney and Kolasinac at left-back.

This comfort in the position is something that Emery clearly wants to instill in his team. He had to play many players out of position last season, including at left-back and left wing, but in adding Tierney and Zaha, he would immediately have players who provide balance to the team.

This search for a balance is a clear focus of the club this summer. Even if deals for Tierney and Zaha are not completed, the intention is there. Emery wants balance, and it starts with revamping the left flank.