Arsenal and left-back: Nacho Monreal or Sead Kolasinac?

With the recent signing of Kieran Tierney at left-back, Arsenal have a decision on their hands: Nacho Monreal or Sead Kolasinac?

The transfer window is shut in England and the Premier League season is officially underway. One of the crucial late deal that Arsenal completed was the addition of Kieran Tierney at left-back. With Tierney the obvious choice starting at left-back when fit, which should be in October according to the club’s update this week, there is an obvious question to be asked: How will Arsenal manage the futures of Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac?

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It would be surprising if all three will still be with the team come September, so let’s take a look at what each player brings to the table and how they could benefit the team by either staying or leaving the club this month.

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Let’s start off with the long-serving Spanish left-back, Monreal. Monreal has been with Arsenal since January 2013 and turned 33 years old this past February. Behind Tierney, Monreal currently serves as the only other natural first-team left-back. Although he has provided moments of brilliance over the last few years, it has become very clear that he has lost some of his pace and is struggling more and more to keep up with the Premier League’s top attackers.

What Monreal does bring to the table, however, is a natural defensive mindset. While he likes to get involved in the attack, his main focus is always on defence. With head coach Unai Emery looking to play with a back four more frequently this season, Monreal is the man you want backing up Tierney on the left side of the defence. Adding to Monreal’s value is the time he spent playing on the left side of three centre-backs last season. If it comes down to it, he can fill in at centre-back as well as providing a little more tactical flexibility should Emery want to use a back three.

Monreal also provides a vast amount of experience to the younger players in the defence which could prove invaluable throughout the season. But with his contract coming to an end this season, now might be Arsenal’s only option of moving him on to recover any reasonable fee. There have been reports of interest from Spain, with Real Sociedad being the latest interested party, so if Arsenal can move him, they could potentially recoup as much as £10 million in the right market and avoid losing the Spaniard on a free next summer. If he does stay and leaves at the end of his contract next summer, the Gunners will have to rely on bringing up another left-back from the academy or will be forced into buying competition for Tierney at the position.

Which brings us to the Bosnian tank, Sead Kolasinac. Kolasinac has been at the club since the summer of 2017 and has a contract running until 2022. Having just turned 26 in June, he provides depth at the position for years to come. But if he were to go, he is entering the prime of his career and could bring in a hefty fee, potentially north of £20 million. That could be the difference in signing a top centre-back in the upcoming windows.

Another reason Arsenal could move Kolasinac on over Monreal comes down to his defensive work. Going forward, he is a powerful and sometimes unstoppable force for defenders to deal with. He constantly fires in crosses and has been very effective when at the top of his game. But his defensive qualities consistently expose the left side of the defence. His forward movement leaves space in behind and he is rarely able to recover his position as a result. While his style of play fits perfectly in a back five, opposite of Ainsley Maitland-Niles at left wing-back, as mentioned before, it seems as though Emery is moving away from last year’s favoured formation to a more traditional back four, a back four that Kolasinac has no future in.

The upside to Kolasinac staying is that he is still young with plenty of football left in his legs. He gives Emery the tactical flexibility that he likes in case he needs to revert back to the style we played last season and could also fill in at a higher position serving more as a left-sided winger than a defender. Adding to speculation that Kolasinac could leave soon, the recent security issues and attacks on him and Mesut Ozil in London could persuade the Bosnian to look for first-team football outside of England’s top flight.

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There is still plenty of time to move players on in the European window and I imagine one of the two will be leaving the Emirates soon. If I had to put my money on it, I would say it’s Kolasinac who will be making way this month as he doesn’t fit the style of play Emery is looking to take the team.

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