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Arsenal eye cut-price deal for Bundesliga defender, can he shore up their defence?

Arsenal have set their sights on Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi as an alternative to their primary target Rb Leipzig star Dayot Upamecano.

Arsenal eye cut-price deal for Bundesliga defender, can he shore up their defence?

Bengaluru, May 20: If reports in England are to be believed, Arsenal have set their sights on Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi as an alternative to their primary target Rb Leipzig star Dayot Upamecano.

It is being claimed that Arsenal fear they could be priced out by RB Leipzig for their 21-year-old French defender and are exploring other options. Nico Elvedi has reportedly attracted their interest and the Swiss international could also be available on a bargain this summer which makes him even more desirable for the Gunners.

It is believed Borussia Mönchengladbach have slapped a price-tag of £25 million on the 23-year-old who has just one year left in his deal at the club. It is pretty much a public knowledge that Arsenal are struggling financially and do not have many funds for the summer despite their dire need for reinforcements.

A £25 million deal for Elvedi would be an absolutely brilliant deal by the Gunners in such circumstances. Here, we will take a look at the 23-year-old defender who could pair up with William Saliba at the heart of a new Arsenal backline next season.

A ball-playing defender

Statistically, Elvedi is one of the best ball-playing defenders in the world right now. He is extraordinary on the ball thanks to his immense technical abilities and composure. The 23-year-old has averaged a passing accuracy of 91.7% this season which is truly exceptional.

The Swiss international is also very much either-footed and therefore looks equally confident on either side of a two-man or three-man defence. He has even averaged 0.4 dribbles and 0.3 shots per game which is impressive for a defender. Such a composed and confident defender can definitely shore up the leaky Arsenal defence on his own.

Versatile

Although Elvedi has featured at the heart of the defence in recent years on a consistent basis, he is also capable of playing in a range of other positions as well. In fact, the Swiss international started his career as a right-back and gradually settled as a centre-back. He can also feature at left-back, defensive midfield and even on the right flank as well.

It is unlikely that Arsenal would have to use a central defender on his calibre in other positions but he will certainly add a lot of depth in other areas. Versatile players are always high on the priority list of managers and make the players more valuable.

Defensive abilities

Nowadays, every manager looks for ball-playing centre-backs and often overlook the defensive sense of those particular players. A centre-back first needs to be a good defender and then a good passer but complete ball-playing defenders are relatively hard to find. Elvedi does excel on the ball but his defending is also top-notch.

With a frame of 6'2, he excels in the air which is evident from his 2.7 aerial duels won per game. The 23-year-old has averaged 3.4 tackles, 2.4 interceptions and 3.2 clearances per game which shows that he is more than solid defensively. The Swiss international is indeed a complete defender and would add a lot of quality to the Arsenal backline.

Available on £25 million and aged just 23, Elvedi has everything Arsenal need right now. Also, he is quite experienced for his age having played 158 games for Gladbach already and 17 times for his country as well. If Arsenal can make this deal happen, it could ideally solve their recurring issue at the back.

Story first published: Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 16:48 [IST]
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