Arsenal: One player from each Bundesliga team to target

Union Berlin

This is one of those outfits that I wasn’t all that excited about picking a player from, but regardless, there is always gold to be found on any club, you just have to be wise about where you look. And for me, I’m looking at Marvin Friedrich, the hulking centerback who is starting to blossom into another prototypical German stalwart.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

After the successes of Per Mertesacker, I am always on the lookout for another German giant, and Friedrich fits the billing. Physically, he’s not far from Mertesacker and in terms of style of play, he’s got that down too.

He’s an absorption-type of defender, letting the danger come to him and then taking action. This is a direct contrast to just about everyone that Mikel Arteta is stockpiling over there, barring perhaps Calum Chambers.

Arteta has favored the proactive, ball-playing centerbacks and it’s looked pretty good so far, but in the event that you want to try something else or alter tactics, you need the personnel to do it and Marvin Friedrich is one such guy that could fit that need.

Next up on, Werder Bremen.