Arsenal: Gary Cahill may work out differently than you think

With options in the transfer market dwindling, and a gaping hole at centerback, should Arsenal be looking at signing Gary Cahill to fill it?

Every day that passes, Gary Cahill becomes a more feasible option at CB for Arsenal. It goes without saying a deal like this dredges up some ugly memories for fans. Signing veteran defenders to short term deals is the kind of move that should theoretically work out for both player and club.

Unfortunately, it’s ended in disaster for the Gunners almost every time they tried it. Most fans, this writer included, still bear the psychological scars of Mikael Silvestre’s and Sebastien Squillaci’s time with the club. So, would signing Gary Cahill would work out any differently? In this case, there are some compelling reasons to believe it might.

Start with the obvious. Laurent Koscielny is on his way out the door one way or the other. This unfortunately makes Shkodran Mustafi the second most seasoned CB on Arsenal’s wage books.

As we all know, Mustafi spent the preseason doing what he does best: making mind numbing mistakes.

So, the question regarding Gary Cahill really boils down to the following: Would Arsenal be better with Gary Cahill getting Shkodran Mustafi’s minutes this year? It’s impossible to imagine Gary Cahill (or anyone else for that matter) being more error prone than Shkodran Mustafi. So, yes, Arsenal is definitely better with Gary Cahill getting Shkodran Mustafi’s minutes.

Sokratis’ performance at Arsenal also plays in favor of taking a punt on Cahill. In spite of his penchant for the rash tackle and yellow card, the veteran Greek international was certainly better in his first year than Mikael Silvestre or Sebastien Squillaci.

Sokratis’ partnership with Rob Holding was also bearing some fruit before Holding’s season ending injury. In fact, this entire defensive unit was showing signs of improvement before Bellerin and Holding went down. So, if Gary Cahill could come in and be as good as Sokratis, it’s a deal worth looking at.

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Lastly, Rob Holding and Calum Chambers could benefit massively from Gary Cahill’s presence. They’re both talented young players who have a lot to learn from a footballer as accomplished as Gary Cahill.

Yes, I was dubious about the prospect of signing him as recently as a month ago. In retrospect however, who better to school our young, English defenders than a highly respected Englishman they both grew up watching? If there’s always an experienced head like Cahill’s next to them, Holding and Chambers could work out nicely relative to this club’s goals next season.

Actually, Arsenal has only one goal next year: getting back into the Champion’s League. It’s true that Nicolas Pepe and Dani Ceballos give them the fastest, fiercest attack they’ve had in years.

In spite of that, the club is still quite a way off the pace set by Manchester City. Accordingly, Arsenal isn’t in the market for the kind of CB who will make the difference between winning a title or not. This isn’t to say Daniele Rugani or Dayot Upamecano (pretty please!) wouldn’t be welcomed with open arms.

However, as a basic necessity, what the Gunners require right now is the kind of CB who won’t give games away vs. Crystal Palace (twice), and Spurs. Gary Cahill surely fills that bill. When you look at his potential impact from that perspective, there’s a case to be made for ringing up Gary’s agent and at least exploring the possibility of a deal.