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Arsenal handed second chance at Barcelona left-back for £18m
Arsenal will be granted a second chance at securing Barcelona defender Junior Firpo in the summer with the Catalan club looking to raise funds sorely needed to balance their hideously one-sided books.
Kieran Tierney had one of his poorer matches of the season in the 3-3 draw with West Ham, and even if Arsenal had lost the match nobody would’ve been calling the Scot out for his performance. Being squeezed of life this season, the volume of minutes and the tactical demands placed on him in his position have left his gasping for air. He’s being run into the ground.
Not securing a backup left-back was the obvious downside from the January window. Seeing Sead Kolasinac leave was worthy of a party or two, yet as bad as he was – and is – it would’ve helped to have someone natural in the position to prove the 23-year-old with cover. Cedric has done well when asked to fill in, but he has his limitations.
There were a couple of Premier League players who were name-dropped on the eve of winter window closing: Ryan Bertrand and Patrick van Aanholt. Neither are spectacular full-backs. They are, however, left footed and experienced, which is all Arsenal really need from a stop-gap left-back.
https://twitter.com/JuniorFirpo03/status/1369801636680503296
Arsenal handed second chance at Barcelona left-back Junior Firpo for £18m deal as La Liga side aim to sell in summer transfer window
Decisions were eventually made on both and Tierney was left to slug it out on his own for the rest of the campaign, even if a sneaky bid was made overseas to find him suitable aid.
A late move was made to bring in Barcelona’s Spanish defender Junior Firpo, who has been warming the Blaugrana bench for much of the campaign as he’s been unable to dislodge Jordi Alba, which is fair enough.
Newly appointed Barcelona president Joan Laporta is already trying to stamp his authority on the club, opting to sell goalkeeper Norberto Neto as well as Firpo this summer with interest from the Gunners and West Ham, as reported by El Desmarque.