With the injury crisis that Arsenal are currently suffering, the North London club has been linked with another high profile player for the January transfer window. With Mathieu Debuchy a long term injury and Calum Chambers having to fill in at centre back given how Arsene Wenger has just 2 proper centre back options in Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, the Juventus right back Stephan Lichtsteiner has been linked with Arsenal. Here at Soccersouls, we take a look at why buying Stephan Lichtsteiner is not the right thing to do for Arsenal at the moment.
Carl Jenkinson will return next season:
First off we must remember that if we count Carl Jenkinson, Arsenal has four right backs at the club right now. In fact this is the one part of the field Arsenal is blessed with depth. Carl Jenkinson was sent to West Ham United by Arsene Wenger for precisely the reason that he felt that he had adequate cover at right back. Also a season of regular football in the Premier League is expected to vastly improve the fan favourite Carl Jenkinson when he returns next season. So buying Stephan Lichtsteiner basically gives the indication that Carl Jenkinson’s time at the club is up.
Arsenal already has three options at right back in Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin:
Mathieu Debuchy might be injured right now but he will return somewhere around January, the same time Arsenal is supposed to buy the Juventus right back. The timing makes no sense as Arsenal will be getting their first choice right back in action. Also consider the fact that Calum Chambers is primarily a right back and Hector Bellerin was always supposed to make the grade this season and you get an idea of why buying Stephan Lichtsteiner is not only unnecessary but also perhaps a waste of money. Buying someone for the centre back position is perhaps a far better idea.
Money will be spent for strengthening other key areas of the squad:
let us be honest here. Arsenal do not need strengthening in the right back area. What Arsenal do need desperately is someone to come in at centre back in January. Perhaps even a world class defensive midfielder given how Mathieu Flamini and even Mikel Arteta are seriously looking off the pace in the defensive midfield position. In such a scenario where there are already 2 key areas which needs to be strengthened, Arsene Wenger is not going to spend additional resources to tie up a right back, no matter how good he is. As it is Arsene Wenger does not like to operate much in the January transfer window and those who thinks that this transfer will happen has definitely not learnt from how Arsene Wenger likes to deal with things.