Premier League giants Arsenal could continue their January spending spree after securing the services of Manchester United playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan. They are also closing in for the transfer of Borussia Dortmund’s star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Head coach Arsene Wenger has already insisted that Arsenal will keep spending in the January transfer window and Mainz’s Abdou Diallo could be the next target for the Gunners, as it seems.
According to reports from various English sources, the London giants are hugely interested in the Mainz defender, who is held in high esteem by Sven Mislintat, Arsenal’s new manager of the scouting department.
Following a €5m move from Monaco, which was largely overshadowed by the arrivals of fellow teammates Rene Adler and Viktor Fischer, Abdou Diallo has wasted no time in getting used to the German football. The former Monaco defender has already established himself as a regular first-teamer for the Carnival outfit as well being rated one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga this season.
Even though the Zero-Fivers are still dawdling in the relegation zone, in what has been a season full of mediocrity and imbalance, Abdou Diallo’s presence in the team is currently one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dire season for Sandro Schwarz’s men.
The Frenchman has managed to impose his defensive qualities into Mainz’s struggling backline. His defensive numbers have been absolutely astounding so far this season with 3 interceptions and almost the same number of clearances per game.
Meanwhile, German sports magazine, kicker has rated him as the fifth best defender in the league. In addition, he has also made it to kicker’s Elf des tages(TOTW) four times(!), up until the start of the Ruckrunde.
However, despite all his defensive qualities, what sets him apart from all other defenders in the league is his ability to build up the play from the back. Diallo is blessed with impressive ball-playing qualities, which is coupled with his ability to circulate the ball quite easily from the defensive half.
Furthermore, Abdou Diallo is a definite threat from set-pieces, something which he has already shown this season, by scoring two goals in 16 outings.
Arsenal are in dire need of someone who can facilitate the backline with clinical passes while being equally solid in defensive stances and that’s where Abdou Diallo comes in. The 21-year-old will definitely boost Arsene Wenger’s defensive options and he certainly has the talent to establish himself as a first-team regular in the Premier League.
