Arsenal and Layvin Kurzawa: Learn stop-gap lesson

Arsenal are reportedly chasing Paris Saint-Germain left-back Layvin Kurzawa on a cut-price deal. But they should instead be learning the lessons of signing stop-gap solutions.

The January transfer window is in full swing and Arsenal are trying to get some deals done before the window closes. The leading rumour at present, as reported by David Ornstein of The Athletic, is that the Gunners are in talks to sign Paris Saint-Germain left-back Layvin Kurzawa to solve their current injury crisis.

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The deal stinks of the infamous North London panic buy. We have seen plenty of these over the last few years; mediocre squad players who are on extortionate wages and hardly play. It is a major part why the squad is currently stretching the ‘Europa League wage budget’ as much as it does.

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Kurzawa fits the label average squad player perfectly. Admittedly, there is a need for another left-back, but why sign an injury-prone left-back as cover for your other two injury-prone left-backs? It doesn’t make much sense, to say the least, and it just goes to show how out of touch Arsenal are in the modern transfer market.

The looming situation of having too many left-backs is quite clear. What happens if the club signs Kurzawa as cover for Kieran Tierney and Saed Kolasinac when both are fit, which they will be within two to three months of his arrival? He is certainly not good enough to be a regular starter in front of either so is the club the planning to offload one of the pair, likely Kolasinac? If not, the likelihood is that he will be a third-choice left-back on high wages. Far from ideal.

It is also fair to question whether Kurzawa is any better than Kolasinac, the current deputy. He is a pacy full-back who likes to get forward and provide offensive output. But like many modern full-backs, he has defensive vulnerabilities and has lost his starting role at PSG. He is also reportedly lazy, a troublesome character in the dressing room, and not exactly committed to the team.

Moreover, even when the Gunners have been forced to use young winger Bukayo Saka at left-back, despite it not being his natural position, he has impressed in the role and looked rather comfortable while playing it. These are the considerations that the board should be making. And yet, the short-termism that is on display with this type of move suggests they are not taking scope of the whole picture.

I understand Arsenal’s budget is tight and they need to look for a bargain in a January window that is infamously difficult to sign high-level players for a fair price, but spending for spending’s sake is not wise, and that is what this deal feels like.

Kurzawa is a stop-gap solution. Arsenal have used these in the past and it has rarely gone well. Perhaps they should learn their lesson.