Arsenal signed Brazilian centre-back David Luiz from Chelsea in the summer to strengthen their backline and replace Laurent Koscielny, who left the Gunners for Bordeaux.
The signing of Luiz, though, hasn’t gone as planned as the experienced defender has made several errors, and hasn’t formed the required partnership at the back with Sokratis.
The Gunners need to sign another top-quality centre-back, possibly one to partner 18-year-old William Saliba, who will join the Gunners at the end of the current season.
Let’s take a look at 3 defenders who can alleviate Arsenal’s defensive woes:
Daniele Rugani
Juventus centre back Daniele Rugani could want to leave the Italian champions as he has fallen down the pecking order after the signings of Matthijs de Ligt and Merih Demiral in the summer.
Rugani could be a good fit for Arsenal as he has the ability to build attacks from the back and keep possession of the ball.
The Italian had a 90% pass percentage rate last season in Serie A, averaging 51.5 passes per game, while he made 3.4 clearances and won 2.7 aerial balls on average in the league last season.
The centre-back could come at a reasonable price as Juve may want to sell him to balance the books.
Nathan Ake
Nathan Ake has done very well at Bournemouth since he left Chelsea in 2017 and has gone on to become a key player for the Cherries. Like Rugani, Ake, too, is good with the ball at his feet and can build attacks from the back, while being a calm and composed figure in defence.
The Dutch defender averaged 44.6 passes per game in the league last season while completing 86% of all his passes.
Ake averaged a high 6.1 clearances per game and 1.7 tackles as well last season. The 24-year-old has Premier League experience and has been a steady figure at the back for Bournemouth in the last few seasons, and could be a useful signing for the Gunners.
Dayot Upamecano
Arsenal were heavily linked with RB Leipzig’s 20-year-old central defender Dayot Upamecano this summer transfer window.
The young French defender has impressed for the German side with his pace and ball-playing ability since signing for them in 2017.
Upamecano is a strong and powerful player who can move forward with the ball while also passing his way out from the back.
The 20-year-old averaged 49.9 passes last season with an average pass completion rate of 82.5%, while making 1.5 tackles, 2.2 interceptions, and 2.9 clearances on average in Bundesliga.
