5 problems Unai Emery needs to solve as Arsenal manager
By James Dudko
2. Repair a dire defense
No matter who took over after Wenger, the main priority has to be fortifying a threadbare defense. The Gunners finished sixth in the Premier League because they conceded 51 goals, the most in the top six and enough to undermine an attack which found the net 74 times.
Sorting out the issues won’t be easy for Emery, who faces a lengthy checklist. Per Mertescaker has retired to take over the club’s academy, while 32-year-old Laurent Koscielny is out until December with an Achilles problem.
The future of Shkodran Mustafi is also in doubt, with the German flopping since arriving for £35 million in 2016. Youngsters Rob Holding (22) and Calum Chambers (23), as well as 20-year-old Konstantinos Mavropanos, lack experience.
To compound Emery’s headache, Arsenal’s defensive woes aren’t just limited to center-back. Left-back Nacho Monreal is 32, while deputy Sead Kolasinac disappointed during his first season in north London.
On the right, Hector Bellerin has regressed significantly after a promising start to his Arsenal career.
The Gunners’ head of recruitment Sven Mislintat has shown interest in Freiburg central defender Caglar Soyuncu. However, the player told Turkish source Ajansspor (h/t Aaron Stokes of the Daily Express) he’ll need assurances about playing time.
Dortmund man Sokratis Papastathopoulos has also been heavily linked.
Mislintat and head of football relations Raul Sanllehi will drive Arsenal’s transfer policy in the post-Wenger era. But Emery’s input will also be crucial in helping fix the biggest weakness in the squad.