When Arsenal waved goodbye to Arsene Wenger it was believed a new era of success could finally be ushered in.
The Frenchman had outgrown his usefulness, producing sides that lacked the sort of steel the Invincibles had back in the mid-2000s. When Wenger did invest, he brought in slick and skilful players but not the sort of midfield presence that defined his early squads.
Manu Petit and Patrick Vieira were as tough as they came and their strength allowed Dennis Bergkamp and others to thrive going forward. As the years progressed, the foundation was eroded, and the trophies dried up.
Defeat in last year’s Europa League final denied new manager Unai Emery his first piece of silverware and despite a solid start to this year’s competition, including a 3-0 win in Frankfurt, the Gunners have flopped domestically.
Emery was meant to be the man to turn things around, but with just two clean sheets in the Premier League this season, it seems he’s wildly missed the mark when it comes to shoring things up at the back. Coral’s guide to the current Premier League season details that Arsenal strengthened their defence during the summer, bringing in Chelsea man David Luiz. The Brazilian has not been a success and Football London claims that he is one of the players fans would like to see leave in January.
Greek centre back Sokratis was also in the firing line and with an exodus expected by the fans, the Gunners must get the policy right this January. A new defender is the bare minimum as they look to stem the flow of goals, with The Guardian suggesting that a £34m move for Merih Demiral might be on the cards.
21-year-old Demiral is a Turkish international who made his debut playing for Sporting Lisbon’s B team, before moving to Alanyaspor. He impressed there, swapping Turkey for Serie A and Sassuolo. Despite his tender age, there was another big move in the pipeline as he made a £15m switch to Juventus in the summer.
His time in Turin has not been a success. An article by Calciomercato explains how a controversial goal celebration whilst on national duty led to him being heavily criticised by Juventus supporters, with many calling for him to be axed from the squad. With just one appearance to his name, it’s widely believed former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri is happy to give the fans what they want.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and there are aspects to Demiral’s game that would suit Arsenal’s needs. He’s a commanding centre back, young enough to possess pace but also with a coolness often only found in older players.
His tender age makes him an asset that could well develop into a huge profit, but Arsenal are not in the business of money-making. They need to attract a player to the Emirates who will tackle hard, fight harder and look to give those awesome attacking options some balance at the back.
If a deal can be struck, Demiral could well be at least part of the answer to the questions bothering Unai Emery right now.
