Arsenal would secure the ideal long-term successor to Nacho Monreal by signing this 34-time capped Spanish sensation

Jose Gaya can be the long-term successor to the throne of Nacho Monreal

Jose Gaya is currently one of the best young left-backs in the La Liga. An academy graduate of Valencia, the 23-year-old Spaniard was promoted to the senior team in 2012 and has made more than 160 competitive appearances for his boyhood club.

Having accumulated 34 caps for Spain at all youth level, Gaya was handed his much-awaited senior international debut this year. He was largely used as an understudy to Bernat in his earlier years at Valencia but has now become the club’s first choice left-back.

Standing at just a shade over 5ft. 7 inches, Gaya is not particularly good at winning the aerial balls, which is probably the only weakness in his game. A fast, agile and technically-gifted full-back, the Spaniard is known for his pace, dribbling skills, passing and crossing from the flanks.

Gaya is someone who plays with a positive body language and does not hesitate to take risks. A full-back tailor-made for an attacking 4-2-3-1 system, the Spaniard likes to venture forward and support the attack with powerful overlapping runs.

His passing and crossing are as good as a specialist winger and he relies on his abilities on the ball to play out from the back. In fact, he is a player with a remarkable vision and is Sept at creating chances. Gaya backs himself to beat his counterparts with his trickery and sudden burst of pace, which often leads to panic amongst the opposition.

While he likes to bomb forward to join the attack, he does not neglect his defensive duties. He does get caught out of position at times but then he has that lightning pace to make recovery runs and close down the attackers.

He is a good tackler and is never hesitant to stick his foot out when needed, a trait that has seen him accumulate a number of yellow cards. However, it would be fair to say that his assets as an offensive-minded full-back certainly outweigh his liabilities.

To put things into perspective, Arsenal should consider him as an option to solve their left-back crisis. The Gunners have exceeded all expectations in what was supposed to be a season of a renaissance under Unai Emery.

However, the defence has been a major issue for Arsenal this season. Injuries to Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding have forced Emery to use Granit Xhaka and Nacho Monreal at the heart of the defence, a ploy that has often led to disastrous consequences. Moreover, Arsenal have been hit hard by the recurrent injuries to Monreal, forcing the manager to use Xhaka on the left-hand side of the backline occasionally.

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The Gunners need more options at the back to avoid these burn out situations and Jose Gaya certainly has all the attributes to be the long-term successor to Monreal’s throne at the Emirates.

That said, Arsenal should pursue an interest in the young Spaniard and table a bid for him in January before the other top clubs come calling for his services.