Why Signing This £20m Manchester United Defender Will Be A Liability For Arsenal

Why Signing Luke Shaw Will Be A Liability For Arsenal And Not An Asset

Arsenal are reportedly interested in injury-prone Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw, as the player is likely to exit the club in the upcoming January transfer window. Reports suggest that Manchester United could accept a bid of £20m for the player. The Englishman has struggled to establish himself at Old Trafford, even though he showed promising signs initially after joining from Southampton in 2014.

Injuries cut his time short, and even though he seems to be fit now, Jose Mourinho seems happy with the way Ashley Young slotted in as a makeshift left-back and prefers to play him over Shaw. Thus, even when fit, the former Southampton defender seems to have no spot in the squad. However, with Arsenal interested in him, Shaw could receive an opportunity to restart his career in a different environment.

While it does seem like a good move for Shaw, will it really benefit the Gunners?

Arsene Wenger has a lot of pressure on him right now. Ever since he extended his contract, fans and critics have scrutinised his every move. He has drawn a lot of flak whenever Arsenal have performed poorly and he is yet to establish stability in the team. They are not doing all that bad right now, but they are capable of doing a lot better.

In a situation like this, they cannot afford to sign a player like Shaw who needs extra care if he is to regain his form. Shaw is talented but he failed to do much even when Mourinho seemed quite supportive. At this point, Wenger needs to focus on winning games and a player like Shaw can often end up being a liability.

Moreover, Arsenal did sign a new left-back over the summer. They brought in Sead Kolasinac on a free transfer, but then they did also sell Kieran Gibbs to West Brom. Wenger is likely to be keen on adding more depth in that area – and that is understandable, especially since Nacho Monreal is being used in central defence. However, targeting Shaw as that reinforcement may not be such a great idea.

Hence, the Gunners seem good to go with Kolasinac. If at all Wenger is truly determined to add an option, he should scan the market more instead of signing Shaw. Additionally, the French manager needs to focus more on bringing in reinforcements for the outbound Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil since that area needs more help than the defence at this point at least.