Arsenal’s transfer plans for Elseid Hysaj might just have been disrupted by SSC Napoli who are prepared to offer the right-back a new contract. Talks of a Hector Bellerin transfer was sky-high in recent weeks and Hysaj was targeted as the replacement.
It might not be the unlikeliest of possibilities for Bellerin to make a club exit next season especially after the poor bouts he has been suffering since the start of the year. However, his form can be reflected on the club’s overall performance as well, which has been shambolic as per Arsenal’s standards.
The club already has over 8 losses this year and currently, hold their worst record over the last 16 years. Wenger’s terms with the North London side’s fanbase keeps on hitting new lows and a restructuring process is expected to happen ahead of the 2018/19 season.
Bellering is young and prolific as a modern day fullback and it would be foolish to sell him off. However, Arsenal does not really have a second option behind the Spaniard now that Mathieu Debuchy has departed for the French top division.
Here are a few candidates Wenger should consider.
Matteo Darmian
The fullback has barely seen the pitch over the course of the season and with just 847 minutes registered and is no longer considered for international duty either.
Darmian will be entering the last year of his contract following the 2017/18 season and teams can capitalize on the situation by acquiring for a cheap deal. His work resume is impressive with 36 Italy national team caps and 150 appearances for Serie A side, Torino.
Jose Mourinho plans to sell him off in the next transfer window and Arsenal can provide him with an escape. Darmian can be a brilliant addition as a sporadic option which is necessary to handle the high-intensity game schedules.
Pablo Maffeo
The 20-year-old is currently serving a loan spell with Girona FC away from his parent club, Manchester City. He has grabbed the opportunity to showcase his talents in the La Liga and has made 26 appearances under Pablo Machin.
He has been capped for the youth ranks of the Spain national team 9 times and is belting out impressive performances on a consistent basis. He even managed to catch the eye of Lionel Messi himself who was caught chatting with the youngster after the league tie back in September. With Kyle Walker and Danilo in the squad, Maffeo will be a surplus to Pep’s requirements and Wenger can look to make a swoop.
Almamy Toure
Toure is a product of the AS Monaco academy and has been quietly making himself known in the French League. With 14 Ligue 1 and 3 Champions League appearances, Toure has managed to get 5 assists to his name this season – decent numbers for a player receiving very limited minutes on the pitch behind first-choice right-back, Djibril Sidibe.
