Arsenal’s 5 current right-back transfer targets – ranked

Mikel Arteta and Edu submitted their transfer plans to the Arsenal board weeks before the campaign ended with work underway to acquire the targets they seek in the off-season. An exciting period for some and grueling for others, slowly it appears their right-back targets are taking shape.

There is always a list. Recruitment and management teams will have a better understanding of the players they seek in terms of attitudes and off-field demeanour, while their scouting work will be more extensive even if supporters these days have access to a wealth of data analysis.

Arteta’s transfer plans will be numbered from first to last, with the ideal options most strongly worked on followed by their contingency plans. Whenever a club signs a player it’s unlikely they were the primary option, despite what we get told during announcements.

With Hector Bellerin set to leave – preferably to a club with money, unlike Real Betis – a new right-back will be brought in. The goalkeeping department has taken surprising precedence of late, but fans have been dished up a few names that have been most heavily linked with a north London switch.

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Arsenal’s 5 current right-back targets ranked as Mikel Arteta pushes for defensive reinforcements in summer transfer window

The targets in mind are encouraging. Arteta knows which profile of right-back he wants – predominantly an attacking one – and even if the five most heavily linked offer different alluring attributes, they would all be welcome additions to the squad.

It would also be nice if they were brought in quickly, which sadly is rarely the case. In a position where the club need to sell before buying, shifting the likes of Bellerin – which appears to be relatively troublesome – becomes paramount so as to nail down one of the plethora of needs this summer early.

Interestingly with the five main targets we’ve learned of, all of them ply their trade in different divisions. Talk about casting your net wide.

Nothing is confirmed and more links are sure to crop up but it would appear that whoever Arsenal bring in to complement the right-back slot will come from one of this group. Never count your chickens in transfer season, though, this could change in an instant. However, looking around, here are the five in delightful ranked format.

5. Achraf Hakimi – Inter

Age: 22
Nationality: Moroccan
Contract Expiry: 2025
Price Tag: £70m

The world class right-back is…bottom of the list? Whoever decides such a ranking should be given a stern talk into!

Controversial? Perhaps, but to be clear, this is solely down to finance. If it was attributed to ability alone he would be top of the list by some margin. Achraf Hakimi is the best there is.

Antonio Conte departed Inter shortly after lifting the Serie A title due to a lack of ambition from the owners. His decision centered around the Italian side’s desires in the transfer market, in which they need to recoup €80m worth of player sales this summer.

All signs point towards the champions seeking to meet this figure in one fell swoop. £70m for Hakimi is not even a figure to consider. Too expensive, move on.

Paris Saint-Germain are leading the race and saw an offer of £52m rejected recently, which tells you all you need to know about this pursuit. Arsenal’s interest in Hakimi has been around for a while and rightly so given his outrageous talent, but for that price the club can safely kiss goodbye to that pipe-dream and look elsewhere.

4. Emerson Royal – Barcelona

Age: 22
Nationality: Brazilian
Contract Expiry: 2024
Price Tag: £21.5m

Not long ago the above would have read ‘Real Betis’ and not Barcelona, such is the peculiar situation surrounding Emerson Royal. Joining La Blaugrana from Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro in January 2019 as part of a three-way deal involving Betis, Ronald Koeman’s side have since exercised their option to bring the Brazilian to Noe Camp for €9m.

The club already have Sergino Dest on their books as the first choice option meaning Emerson will be competing for a starting spot, but they will do business with a club offering around £21.5m.

When describing the 22-year-old, he’s a slightly more composed in possession, and quicker, version of Calum Chambers. Not like-for-like in any manner, but someone who can move infield and bolster numbers and get near the box through attacking triangles.

Defensively, few stack up better in Europe than Emerson, who completes an average of 4.64 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes (91st percentile) as well as winning a healthy number of duels.

Overall he can be quite conservative in possession. There are few better of his ilk to be tactically flexible and shift into midfield, while also capable of being the most advanced option on the right flank – yet what he lacks in is adventure. In other words, attacking contributions.

One of the first names to be linked with Arsenal, given more recent developments, what he offers in the final third pushes him down the list. A npxG of 0.03 and an xA of 0.08, his final ball can often be too uninspired and his crossing requires some work.

A fine right-back but not at the top of the list compared to who else is here.

3. Zeki Celik – Lille

Age: 24
Nationality: Turkish
Contract Expiry: 2023
Price Tag: £13m

The most recent of the options on Arsenal’s list of targets, it was only a matter of time before Zeki Celik became linked with sides across Europe. He had a magnificent season out with Lille in Ligue 1, playing a pivotal role in their glorious title win.

It’s customary for Lille to sell successful assets in the summer, just ask Arsenal. The ‘Welcome to north London Zeki Celik skillz + goals in 4K’ YouTube videos will already have been pieced together in their hundreds.

Why do Arsenal want Celik? Because he’s good at pretty much everything. These days the desire for attack-minded full-backs usually results in an imbalance where whenever they’re tasked with defending they crap themselves. Too many this day are top or bottom heavy, in that regard.

The Turkish defender is 24 years old now and the encouraging aspect of his signing is how he’s improved upon each season – no stagnating. 2020/21 was by far his best, clocking up four goals and two assists across the campaign and demonstrating his superb pressing qualities in abundance.

Operating high in Lille’s style, almost like a right midfielder out of possession, he give the opposing wingers and full-backs no time on the ball. 5.31 successful pressures per game has him in the top 94th percentile, yet it’s his pressing in general that is such a valuable asset. His goal threat and forward support is strong, but the intelligence of his pressing runs is something Arsenal have sorely lacked.

Sustaining periods of pressure has been one of the Gunners’ Achilles heels. Moves break down and the period of ball recycling is slow and easy for the opposition to take up shape against. Someone who can counter-press and/or aid in winning the ball back further up the pitch would be hugely welcome.

Furthermore, that season that prompted Arsenal to sign Nicolas Pepe? Celik was the right-back behind him. That’s a partnership worth rekindling, especially for a nominal £13m fee.

2. Max Aarons – Norwich

Age: 21
Nationality: English
Contract Expiry: 2024
Price Tag: £30m

What a superb talent Max Aarons is. Wanted by half of Europe, Arsenal throwing their hat into the ring is absolutely the right move to take. He really is that good.

The immediate eye test shows a right-back of smaller stature, one who understandably doesn’t win many aerial duels. But that does not detract from the rest of his abilities as with some of the other players on the list, such as Celik, who also doesn’t boast a huge frame.

An England team blessed with a bizarre amount of talent at right-back doesn’t have someone with the same ball carrying style as Aarons. He isn’t deserving of a place in the squad yet given the players at Gareth Southgate’s disposal, but the manner with which he glides with the ball in a series of measured touches as opposed to, say, a Kyle Walker who has exceptional brutality at full tilt is unique to the Three Lions setup.

Someone who loves carrying into the box, such freedom is granted to him by Daniel Farke. It was the cause of so much despair in his previous Premier League venture as Norwich were horribly exposed regularly. At Arsenal, Bellerin is allowed to make the underlaps and run in between centre-back and full-back, which Aarons has to his game.

Closer to the touchline he has excellent composure in defensive actions, willing to not only tackle an opponent but dispossess them. There is still some work to be done with his positioning, but this can be coached. His crossing from deep is particularly alluring, something Arsenal don’t add to their game for variety.

What’s more, being homegrown is important. Arsenal are set for an English exodus and focusing their attentions on their British core, one Aarons can absolutely be a part of. His age is a huge bonus, while also possible a hindrance. Not the finished article, there is some desire for a player more prepared and experienced to come in.

Why he isn’t in top spot is the price. As a profile and skillset, he could be an Arsenal starter for years to come. He arguably should be, however, the ‘English tax’ has raised his price to £30m and with so much interest, any bidding war could see that figure climb. If he was cheaper, he’d be the one. A wonderful option to rebuild and reshape the outlook of this team.

1. Noussair Mazraoui – Ajax

Age: 23
Nationality: Moroccan
Contract Expiry: 2022
Price Tag: £15m

What does Arteta want in his right-back? Just like everyone, he’ll want a bit of everything. Noussair Mazraoui is a lot of everything.

Someone so talented he prompted Vahid Halilhodžić to move Hakimi to either right-winger of left-back in order to get him into his Morocco team, the situation now with Mazraoui is one multiple interested clubs should be snapping at.

Entering the final year of his deal, fresh terms at Ajax aren’t on the horizon and a sale will be sanctioned by the Dutch club who already have Devyne Rensch and Sean Klaiber on the books and won’t mess about accruing a fee when they can.

Along the same lines as Joao Cancelo in that he moves into midfield and bolsters attack centrally, there he can engage the channels and support his teammates from varying points of attack. The diversity of his skillset is represented in his statistical output, with him being in the top 99th percentile for progressive passes (very important), the top 91st percentile for npxG and the top 97th percentile for both successful pressures and tackle and interceptions.

Statistically, he’s just not fair. If you have a penchant for the colour green look him up on the stats sites.

He has no obvious flaws other than him not being a speed merchant. On the eye he has a proactive tackling style, one designed to win the ball back over simply dispossessing; every touch is attack-minded and the runs he makes in transition are aggressive yet measured; fleet-footedness in possession is eye-catching as he boasts an exceptional technical level.

There is very little not to like, especially at that price.