It is no secret that a strong defensive line is the secret for any side’s success in the world of football, especially in top competitions like the Premier League or the Champions League. In fact, a good defence can surely help win most tournaments, if used in the most effective way, like some of the current managers like Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and others have been doing over the years. It is still worth the wait, as “we” hope that our beloved Arsene Wenger can do the same someday and win us something more than a few FA Cup titles, as the club aims for more.
Keeping that in mind, the French boss is aware that his squad needs more defensive reinforcements, as they look to win against the better attacking sides in Europe. For this purpose, it seems that the Gunners have now gone ahead and agreed a deal for Bolton’s young defender Rob Holding, as per claims.
The 21 year old superstar has made 26 appearances for the Championship side Bolton, scoring once and was away on loan in 2015 to League One side Bury. The England U-21 international has looked quite impressive and could help the north London giants fill in some voids in the back-line, as Wenger looks to fortify the defence side of his team first.
The youngster plays at the center of the defence and could be used as a long-term replacement for Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker, who has faced some criticism for being inefficient in the big games due to his lack of pace. Further, the former German international had also admitted some time ago that he might not mind a return to his native country and would possibly want to end his career at boyhood club Hannover 96.
If that does indeed happen and he does leave the Emirates, Holding could be the perfect player as a backup for Gabriel, who has not really been up to the mark in recent times. The Brazilian center-back needs to be better and more solid, alongside Laurent Koscielny, who was one of the central defenders last term.
Any defender who wins the “Player of the Year” award at any club at any level will surely be quite a talent and the Englishman definitely seems to be one for the future, which has caught the attention of a host of clubs apart from Arsenal.
It is Wenger’s eagerness that he has seen him make an early move for his target, with the clubs Premier League rivals Spurs and Everton also interested in getting a deal done. Further, Scottish giants Celtic were also amongst a host of clubs interested in acquiring his services, though it was the French manager who eventually managed to push a deal through.