3 reasons why Timothy Castagne makes sense for Arsenal

The relentless barrage from transfer aggregators is underway. Welcome to the 2023 summer transfer window, folks!

While the window doesn’t officially open until Wednesday, clubs have already been busy on the transfer front during what is, without question, the most serene period in the footballing calendar.

In terms of Arsenal’s summer plans, several midfield moves are inevitable, while superior depth behind William Saliba and Bukayo Saka is very much needed. The club have been linked with a whole host of names from media outlets spanning the globe, of which 99% will not be an Arsenal player come the start of September.

Perhaps that’ll be true of Timothy Castagne, the Leicester defender who’s the latest to gain traction in rumour mills. According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Arsenal have opened talks with the Foxes for the 27-year-old, who is set to move on from the King Power this summer following the club’s shock relegation.

Arsenal’s full-back situation is certainly an interesting one, and there are questions regarding Ben White’s future down the right despite his quite excellent season in the once-unfamiliar role. The Gunners aren’t looking for a starting full-back, but one that can provide adequate cover and fill-in should White be needed to slide across into a central position.

3 reasons why Timothy Castagne makes sense for Arsenal

Castagne may not be the sexy name that supporters crave, but it’s a move that does make sense for the Gunners. Here are three reasons why.

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1. Cheap and cheerful

Naysayers will perhaps bemoan Arsenal opting for a simpler option when a move for Joao Cancelo is feasible this summer, but the Gunners don’t have a perpetual flow of cash at their disposal and a potential saga involving Man City for the transfer of the Portuguese international would be far from ideal with their transfer priorities lying in midfield.

Securing the services of Declan Rice will not come cheap.

By opting for a player of Castagne’s valuation, believed to be around £20m, Arsenal will have greater scope to be more aggressive in their pursuits of Rice and other potential targets who could come straight into Mikel Arteta’s starting XI next season.

Should Arsenal strike a deal for Castagne at the aforementioned valuation or thereabouts, there’s little financial risk involved. It’s a high-floor, low-ceiling move with the Belgian international adding another layer of solidity and versatility to Arsenal’s defensive depth chart.

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2. Versatile

This is an attribute almost always discussed when assessing a potential newbie. We all know how much Mikel Arteta appreciates versatility. He wants players capable of performing multiple functions within his framework, and Castagne certainly has the scope to do that.

The 27-year-old has predominantly lined up as a right-back/right wing-back in his senior career (206 games according to transfermarkt.com), but he’s also adept off the opposite flank. Castagne has played 75 games off the left.

Thus, Arteta potentially views Castagne in a similar vein to Takehiro Tomiyasu. The athletic and relatively imposing Belgian could join the Japanese international in the Swiss Army knife crew. However, while he can line up on both sides, some might question whether he’s capable of performing the inverted function which has developed into a crucial function within Arteta’s system.

The 27-year-old has never been tasked with performing such a metronomic role, and Oleksandr Zinchenko has set the highest of bars. Kieran Tierney’s rigidity when utilised infield depicted the difficulty of the position. It’s certainly not for everyone.

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3. Mikel will work his magic

Look, Castagne wouldn’t be the most inspiring of arrivals, but how many times have we said that about an Arsenal transfer in the past two years?

The 27-year-old is a dependable option who notched the most Premier League minutes in an albeit porous Leicester team in 2022/23 as they succumbed to the second tier. He initially emerged as a fan favourite at the King Power following his move from Atalanta in 2020, with many lauding his steady consistency as he bombarded up and down the touchline.

Castagne’s far from spectacular at both ends of the pitch, but he’s a competent and intelligent footballer who’s extremely coachable. Arteta will put him in the best situation to thrive at Arsenal, just as he did with Jorginho following his January arrival. The Spaniard does an excellent job of minimising a player’s flaws all while maximising their talent.

The Belgian wouldn’t be coming in to usurp Arteta’s current starting options, and he’ll instead be expected to supply sturdy competition for both White and Zinchenko. For the reported price and the lack of risk involved, I’m absolutely fine with this move should it transpire. It makes sense on the Gunners’ behalf.