Arsenal in talks to sign Valencia CB Shkodran Mustafi
By James Dudko
Arsenal have reportedly begun talks with Valencia to sign German central defender Shkodran Mustafi in a deal that could eventually cost as much as £34 million.
Sky Germany revealed the talks, while also outlining the type of structured fee the Gunners would be expected to pay:
"It is understood that no offer for the 24-year-old Germany international centre-back has yet been made to the Spanish club.Mustafi has a release clause of £42.1m but Sky Germany understand that Arsenal may be able to sign the German for £25.3m plus a further £8.4m in add-ons."
The report makes it sound as if the discussions are very much at the preliminary stage at the moment. Yet, the Gunners need to move quicker given their obvious need for defensive reinforcements since Per Mertesacker was ruled out for months with a knee problem.
His absence will increase the pressure on Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel as manager Arsene Wenger’s go-to pairing. Depth is of the untested and raw variety, with only 21-year-old Calum Chambers and new arrival Rob Holding (20) as natural reserves at the position for the Premier League side.
Wenger has already been trying unorthodox methods to cover the potential and worrying lack of options. Holding midfielder Francis Coquelin recently took to social media to reveal he had been training as a central defender, per MailOnline‘s Amitai Winehouse.
Wenger is no stranger to switching players to new positions and finding success. His finest conversion project at the back saw Kolo Toure move from utility midfielder to central defender in 2003 and become a vital part of the ‘Invincibles’ squad that captured the Premier League title without losing a game.
Still, Coquelin is unlikely to follow the same path. The combative Frenchman is probably cross-training to cover gaps during the club’s U.S. tour while Gabriel nurses illness and Koscielny recovers from his efforts at UEFA Euro 2016.
So the Gunners ideally need a quick deal with La Liga outfit Valencia for Mustafi. What’s interesting is how such a hefty proposed fee implies he would be a regular starter.
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It would mean Wenger quickly giving up on Gabriel, the defender he signed in January, 2015. Granted, the South American has looked sluggish and calamitous at times, while also struggling to master the language barrier.
If he’s not the first choice alongside Koscielny, Arsenal’s only sure thing in the middle of defence, the question then becomes would Mustafi be a better complement?
Squawka’s Nic English is unsure about a Koscielny-Mustafi combination. Ironically, though, English also noted one quality the German possesses which Arsenal desperately need at the back:
Aggression in the air is something the Gunners have lacked defensively for too long. The weakness was ruthlessly exposed late last season when target man Andy Carroll scored a hat-trick, after bullying Gabriel and Co. aerially, to snatch two vital points from title-chasing Arsenal.
If ex-Everton academy prospect Mustafi could solve the aerial problem, the Gunners would be tougher to breach and more credible title challengers in the 2016/17 season.