Arsenal were certainly one of the underachievers last season under the tutelage of their new manager Unai Emery. It was the starting point of the transitional phase for them after the departure of long-standing manager Arsene Wenger and despite that, a top-four finish in the Premier League seemed realistic for a major chunk of the season.
The Gunners were the source of a lot of optimism and hope for their fans but in the end, they were unable to put the finishing touches to a season in which they gave multiple flickers of hope. They were shambolic during the business end of the campaign and were made to pay for the lack of cohesion at the back and atrocious performances away from home.
Emery’s men had two opportunities to grab a Champions League spot for the upcoming season and they lost both. Winning only one out of the last five games in the Premier League ensured they finished outside the top four while the Gunners put up a shambolic display against rivals Chelsea in the Europa League final.
It was never going to be easy for Emery and one of the primary tasks the Spaniard needs to cater to before the start of the next campaign is to fortify his brittle backline. And to that end, someone like VfB Stuttgart centre-back Ozan Kabak could be a necessary signing for the north London based side.
Why Arsenal should sign Kabak
Kabak is one of the highly rated young guns in the game right now. The Turk is commendable in the air, is decisive with his tackles and he also provides a threat in the opposition box during set-pieces.
The 19-year-old emerged through the youth ranks of Galatasaray and after having impressed for the Turkish outfit, he was acquired by Stuttgart. His maturity belies his age and unarguably, he emerged as one of the hottest properties in the Bundesliga last season.
His defensive statistics were impressive as he mustered 2.2 tackles per game on an average and alongside that, he also made 1.5 interceptions and 3.5 clearances per match. Kabak also has the ingredients to be a leader and despite his unfamiliarity with English football, he is worth a gamble.
With the error-strewn Shkodran Mustafi clearly a weak link in Arsenal’s defence and Laurent Koscielny no longer at his best, Kabak could be the solution which Arsenal are looking for. Alongside Sokratis, he could add a lot of resilience and grit to their central defence and Arsenal wouldn’t even have to break the bank to sign him.
