Why Arsenal should sign Fernando Calero to replace Rob Holding
According to a report in Sun Football, Premier League giants Arsenal are interested in signing Real Valladolid defender Fernando Calero during the next month’s transfer window.
Manager Unai Emery is desperate to strengthen the defensive area of his squad, after overseeing Rob Holding suffer a season-ending injury. The youngster injured himself when the Gunners were playing Manchester United at Old Trafford.
As per the report (h/t Cadena Ser), the north London-based club are eyeing up a £10m for Calero. The Spaniard has been a star at Valladolid and he is a part of a defence that has conceded only 15 goals in as many matches in the league.
Arsenal will face a competition though for the signature of the player, as Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund are also keeping close tabs. (Sun)
However, the Gunners should shove those challenges and sign the centre-back next month. Here’s why:
Fernando Calero could be another right piece in the jigsaw
Arsenal have done some good business in the summer, bringing in the likes of Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno, Sokratis and Matteo Guendouzi. All of the new players have impacted the performance of the team in the right way, especially the Uruguayan midfielder.
However, the defensive part of the jigsaw still looks a bit shaky. Shkodran Mustafi is prone to making mistakes. Sokratis has done well since his introduction into the side but how much one player can do?
Now, the situation is that the Gunners have two fit and firing centre-backs with Holding out for the season. Laurent Koscielny is back fit after a long time, however, Emery won’t be able to trust the Frenchman yet.
It is simply because the managerial change in the summer has brought in loads of tactical changes to how the team play. And the experienced centre-back last played for this club when Arsene Wenger was in charge.
Hence, it makes sense from the club’s viewpoint that they sign a new centre-back on a cheap next month. Calero is a fantastic defender who has had a terrific season thus far. He is good on the ball, possessing a pass success rate of over 87% while making tackles and interceptions isn’t bad either. The Spaniard does them at an average of 1.5 and 1.8 per game respectively.
The best thing about the 23-year-old is his recovery pace while playing in a high-line defence. Emery would love a centre-back like him because he prefers his defensive line to be high.
Read More: Who is this £15m Arsenal target taking Europe by storm? The next big thing?
All in all, Calero could be an ideal piece in the Arsenal jigsaw which has taken an upward curve in terms of the progress made in the last three months.
Stats Courtesy – Whoscored.com