Arsenal: High turnover at centre-back no bad thing

Arsenal will soon be looking for ways to fortify the centre of their porous defence. The turnover at the position will be high this summer, and that is no bad thing.

While Arsenal are collectively poor when it comes to defending, centre-back has long been a problem position. Solidifying the defensive spine is undoubtedly a priority for head of football Raul Sanllehi.

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There is some cause for optimism. Rob Holding has returned from his devastating ACL injury, Calum Chambers is enjoying a resurgence and William Saliba is an exciting prospect who will become an entrenched member of the first-team squad next season.

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However, the contracts of Shkodran Mustafi, David Luiz, and Sokratis all expire after the 2020/2021 season. This is significant considering that Sanllehi showed no mercy last summer and will not delay their potential sales. He was aggressive in getting players whose value was dwindling out the door, and given that they each can leave for nothing just a year later, he might be keen to move them on.

Considering the relative financial constraints that the club has endured in recent years, Arsenal must capitalise on any monetary value that the error-prone trio have left. They do not have long-term futures at the club.

Although he has impressed whenever he has been called upon so far this season, Mustafi’s departure has been expected — and demanded — for some time. Luiz was only signed in an effort to temporarily fortify the defence after Laurent Koscielny’s transfer ultimatum and Sokratis was also acquired for a similar purpose.

Arsenal must now look for a more permanent solution. There are some internal options, Chambers, Holding and Saliba chief among them, but whether they can develop adequately remains to be seen. Many fans would like to see the club turn to the transfer market in order to address the issue.

Dayot Upamecano was heavily linked with the club towards the end of last summer’s window. The inflated centre-back market ultimately made him unattainable, as RB Leipzig reportedly demanded a fee in excess of £70m for the French defender. Even so, expect the club to return for Upamecano when more funds are released.

The Gunners have a very strong squad. There are match-winners, there are promising talents, there is dynamism, and there is some form of character. But they must learn to defend better as a collective, and if they can improve at the centre-back position, they will be much closer to challenging for major honours.

Starting next summer, there is high turnover coming at centre-half, and that may be no bad thing.