Arsenal Opinion: Why the Gunners should quickly snap up Gary Cahill?

According to ex-England defender Danny Mills, Arsenal or Manchester United should snap up free agent Gary Cahill. (h/t The Sun)

Cahill, 33, is a free agent having left Chelsea after seven-and-a-half trophy-laden years at the end of last season. He won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, one League Cup, the Champions League and two Europa League titles during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal and Manchester United are both in desperate need for defensive reinforcements following a poor 2018/19 campaign, which saw them lose out on a place in the Champions League.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is rebuilding the squad with young, exciting and hungrier talents, which means Cahill will not be a good fit at Old Trafford.

The Gunners boss, Unai Emery, meanwhile, has a transfer budget of £45m to spend this summer.

The North London giants are determined to return to Europe’s elite competition next season by achieving qualification this term but are in desperate pursuit of defensive reinforcements after conceding over 50 goals this past campaign.

Saint-Etienne’s William Saliba is a prime target but the teenager will be loaned back to the French side next season if he signs.

Even if Saliba signs, Emery should target a first-choice defender to bolster his backline, amidst the uncertainty surrounding Laurent Koscielny’s future. With that in mind, any potential move from Arsenal for Gary Cahill would make perfect sense for Unai Emery.

Cahill is certainly not over the hill at 33 and would bring some much-needed experience and defensive stability to Emery’s squad.

The former Chelsea captain has earned 61 caps for England, while he didn’t look out of sort in the eight games he played last season under Maurizio Sarri. He has played in the Premier League for a while now and he should be able to make an immediate impact at Arsenal if a deal goes through.

The former Bolton Wanderers man will add leadership, depth and winning mentality to Arsenal’s dressing room. Despite his age, he can be a very useful option for Emery off the bench and in Cup competitions like the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and the Europa League.

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Known for being technically sound with the ball at his feet, solid in the air and robust in the tackle, Cahill would be the perfect like-for-like replacement for the potentially departing Koscielny.

Verdict

Emery knows he must bolster his back four ahead of the new campaign and on a free transfer, signing Cahill should be a no-brainer for the Gunners.