According to David Ornstein of The Athletic (subscription needed), Arsenal are among the clubs that are considering making a move for Daley Blind. The Ajax defender has been listed among the players who could potentially leave the club at the end of the season. And the Gunners are believed to be interested in Blind’s services, though they could face stiff competition from clubs in Italy.
Daley Blind: A centre-back or a left-back?
Blind is, no doubt, one of the most versatile defenders in Eredivisie. Therefore, whether or not he will feature as a centre-back or a left-back remains a common confusion.
The Dutchman initially joined Manchester United as a left-back. He even featured in that role during the early stages of his career at Old Trafford. But, during the 2015/16 campaign, the defender predominantly operated as a centre-half. And since then, he has largely featured in that central defensive role, even after his return to Ajax in 2018.
At Arsenal, however, Blind is likely to be considered as both a left-back as well as a centre-back. Given the club’s struggles with injuries and the lack of quality among their central defenders, the Dutchman will surely be an asset for Mikel Arteta.
Moreover, the 29-year-old can operate in a holding midfield role. That means he will provide Arteta with an additional option in the middle of the park, where the Arsenal manager only has four viable options in Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi and Dani Ceballos, with the latter set to return to Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season.
An upgrade over David Luiz?
Having featured in a centre-back role consistently for the past few seasons, Blind is more than likely to be considered in that role at Arsenal. And that’s where complications could arise.
The Gunners have already brought in Pablo Mari while they also have Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi as well as David Luiz. While Mari could potentially leave Arsenal in the summer should he fail to impress the onlookers this season, Blind could actually be an upgrade over the underperforming Luiz.
Both the players have some similarities as they like to feature in the left-sided centre-back role. They are also identified as ball-playing central defenders and are capable of operating as a defensive midfielder.
However, Luiz has appeared sloppy with his overall defensive game. And while he has improved a bit under Arteta, Blind is clearly the better option. He is younger and has been performing consistently ever since leaving Manchester United in 2018. Hence, the Dutchman would indeed be a smart acquisition for the north London giants.
