Arsenal: Defensive transfer rumors underwhelming for a reason

Arsenal are linked to two defenders, both of whom are more than a little off the radar. But there’s a reason for this, and a good one too.

Nearly every Arsenal fan agreed that we really needed to identify centerback solutions this January. It’s hard to make signings in the winter, but it’s been done before. There was just too much uncertainty surrounding the center of this defense. And the club answered—kind of—with links to two defenders.

Even though I doubt many of us have heard of either of the two guys: Mykola Matviyenko and Pablo Mari. One from Ukraine, one from Brazil. Neither expensive. Neither a game changer. Both incredibly underwhelming.

And that’s a good thing.

This Arsenal defense is in a crisis for ons specific reason—injuries. That’s it. If Calum Chambers hadn’t gotten hurt, we’d be fine. Pair him with either David Luiz or Sokratis and watch the defense grow.

But with Chambers hurt, Sokratis missing a few matches, David Luiz suspended, Shkodran Mustafi now hurt, Rob Holding struggling and Konstantinos Mavropanos playing tiddly-winks down at the corner store, there was nothing reliable about this defense.

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That’s all temporary though. Our objective should be to just see the season out without making any rash decisions on the defense. Because in the summer, William Saliba arrives, Chambers gets more time towards recovery, Holding can figure his stuff out, and we can assess who among the questionable crew are worth holding on to.

To make any big purchases now, assuming it’s even possible, is to lock yourself in when you might not need to at all. Be honest with yourself, this Sokratis/David Luiz combo has looked strong. We just haven’t been able to keep them on the pitch lately.

I don’t want to see Chambers forsaken because of an injury and I don’t want to see Saliba prematurely blocked. If we sign someone like Mari or Matviyenko, we’re getting a competent body to fill in in times of crisis. If he takes off and proves more than that, awesome! That’s great. We didn’t spend a lot of money and we look like geniuses.

If he doesn’t, and simply fills in until the cavalry arrives in the summer, awesome! That’s great. We didn’t spend a lot of money and we still look pretty smart.

One of the primary rules of being an Arsenal fan is to never get worked up about the January transfer window. Surely we’ve all learned that by now.