Arsenal: Calum Chambers injury confirms the need for reinforcements

Arsenal’s defense took a massive hit with Calum Chambers’ injury. If there was any doubt, there can be none now: We need reinforcements.

You have to feel for Calum Chambers. It’s like he is cursed at Arsenal. Niggling injuries early on in his Arsenal career prevented him stepping up and, finally, when he gets a run in the side and shows some form, he is struck down by a devastating injury that will see him out to the end of the year, if not more. With this injury it does confirm that we need to be active in the current transfer window.

Defensively, we are literally down to the bare bones, with two natural wingers playing in the full back positions (and doing a decent job of it I might add).

Now with Chambers’ injury, our only central defensive options are David Luiz, Sokratis and an inept Shkodran Mustafi. Rob Holding is fit again and was on the bench against Manchester United on New Year’s day, but he is still continuing to pick up little injuries and he doesn’t yet look to be fully recovered from his own cruciate ligament injury. When he has played he has looked low on confidence and low on form.

The defence has looked so much more solid under Mikel Arteta with David Luiz and Sokratis looking twice the players they were under Unai Emery. My worry however is if it will continue.

I have felt this season that the two of them are only good enough for back-up players and they are only getting extended game time due to the current injury situation. We can’t rely on our current defensive duo for the remaining games, especially since they are prone to injures and suspensions themselves.

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There are players available this transfer window that could improve us, however we don’t know what budget restraints Arteta is working with.

Dayot Upamecano is a signing most fans want, but I doubt this one will happen. Certainly not in January, anyway. Depending on how much money is available to Arteta it certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to look at defenders in the Championship. There is potential to pick up a solid defender for a bargain price and someone who could easily make the step up to the Premiership.

Look at Adam Webster at Brighton, John Egan and Jack O’Connell at  Sheffield United, for instance. They have no previous Premiership experience but are currently flourishing. In Arsenal’s current state, we are not above looking at this as an option. Defenders at mid-table Premiership clubs should also be an option.

Mikel Arteta might be confident in getting the best out of what we currently have and might not feel the need to buy. As I have said, there has been a marked improvement in the performances. But we can’t account for further injuries and suspensions.

It will also be on Arteta’s mind that William Saliba will be joining us in a few months and it’s likely that he will be in the first team picture straight away. With the January transfer window now open its always worth it to have a look.