Over the past two decades, Arsenal supporters have become institutionalised to having a quality, and reliable, right-back in their strongest line-up. From Lee Dixon to Lauren to the current first choice, Bacary Sagna; the position is renowned for consistent strength on the red side of North London. However, questions have started to arise over who will be at Arsène Wenger’s disposal come the start of next season, when, like it or loathe it, there will either be a fresh new contract for Sagna or unfamiliar change. Uncertainty and speculation has surrounded the Gunners’ transfer activity on this matter, in terms of both arrivals and departures, so it’s anyone’s guess as to who, if anyone, will become the latest name to join a plethora of great right-backs and whether they will or won’t follow in the same fashion as their predecessors. In this article, I’ll try to explore the avenues in which the club can explore and in which manner such options are assessed.
Bacary Sagna’s name has become synonymous with a place on the right hand side of Arsenal’s back-line since joining from Auxerre in 2007. His longevity in the side, a rare luxury nowadays, has played a large part in his meteoric rise from questionable £7.5m signing to cult-hero amongst the fans, in fact. Over the course of his six years at Emirates Stadium, the French international has made 251 appearances, though has been somewhat curtailed by injures on occasions, and during this stint has earned high acclaim from not only ‘gooners’, but also from fellow observes and supporters, alike, often regarded as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League. Doubts over his whereabouts after this campaign linger, as the 30-year-old’s current deal will expire in the summer, with rumours circling linking him with a Bosman transfer to the likes of Milan. It’ll take a lot of persuasion, and probably a lucrative wad of cash, to convince Sagna to extend his stay, however every faith will be placed in his compatriot, Wenger, to negotiate an extension, despite the temptations of testing his luck in another league as he enters the twilight years of career.
What’s so special about Bacary Sagna? Particularly this season, his leadership within the dressing room has been profound, yet this influence isn’t anything new, as he has been an ever-present feature in the side, offering guidance when captains such as Thierry Henry, Cesc Fàbregas, William Gallas and Robin van Persie has left for pastures new.
Another area that has lead to desperation for him to stick with the Red and Whites is his newfound versatility, giving another road to go down at centre-back. Excelling whenever deployed more central than he’s accustomed to, you could forgive Bacary for entertaining the idea of trying to correlate whatever he will lose as age, i.e – pace, stamina, endurance, with what he will gain with age, i.e – increased wisdom, tactical nous and perception of the play that goes on around him.
This is where the Rossoneri come in especially; in Mattia De Sciglio, they have a defender who will devote the vast majority of his playing days to the Milan cause and avoiding unforeseen causes, like serious injury or drastic fallout, will most likely male something truly special of himself at the San Siro. A problem that Massimiliano Allegri’s team have encountered this season is an omnipresent run of niggles and problems to their 21-year-old asset, frequently fielding the established Ignazio Abate in his place. It would seem that this is a sustainable solution until the Milan Lab can fix De Sciglio, taking his long-term future into consideration – after all, having a player of Abate’s ability to deputise is a luxury most teams can’t afford, however there’s an issue that has put this option into serious doubt: the former Napoli loanee, like Sagna, has less than a year remaining on his current contract. Connecting the dots, some have pointed to the free acquisition of the experienced, yet equally as skilled, Frenchman as not only an alternative to De Sciglio, who would educate and assist in the youngster’s growth, but also as a comfortable fit into the centre-back partnership, when needed.
Such a move coming to fruition would particularly please a certain Carl Jenkinson, who despite securing a dream move to his boyhood club, hasn’t enjoyed the scripted start he would have dreamt of. An Arsenal supporter growing up, the majority of the fan-base have acknowledged having ‘one of their own’ in the first team squad with appreciation. This was the case right up until Arsenal’s Capital One Cup tie with Chelsea, where Jenkinson’s performance was littered with errors, most notably his misguided header to let César Azpilicueta score the Blues’ first goal. Many have leapt to scapegoat the 21-year-old for the loss, however you could argue that heavy criticism is unjust due to a number of reasons, most notably: rustiness. Anyone who has a decent level of understanding regarding a player’s mentality will know that having a sporadic role within the side can lead to, shall we say, ‘rough’ outings when hurled into the lion’s den after so many minutes spent on the substitutes bench, particularly for someone who could still be considered as young.
To aid Jenkinson’s development, and to protect the undiscovered potential within, a loan move, preferably to a fellow Premier League outfit, would do him a world of good. Even if Carl had to drop down to the Championship, he’d learn how to cope with dependability and the pressures that are associated with a player who’s expected to make the starting lineup week-in, week-out. If this option was taken, you could perhaps see Wenger opt against keeping hold of Sagna, instead placing his faith into Jenkinson, who would have picked up invaluable experience whilst farmed out.
This isn’t the end of the right-back talent Arsenal have in abundance, no, as Héctor Bellerín’s case hasn’t been made. Thought of as one of the most promising prodigies in the academy, the Spaniard made his senior début in the recent League Cup tie with West Bromwich Albion.
Starting off as a winger, the ex-Barça starlet has maintained particular attributes from his previous role and when bombarding down the flank, whipping in crosses whenever presented with the opportunity to spawn chances for his teammates and, from time-to-time, even making attempts to score himself. Sourcing from his days receiving his football education at the famed La Masia centre of unbridled excellence in Catalonia, the technical aspect to Bellerín’s game is impressive, using a wide range of passes to add another dimension to his play. Coupled with his remarkable positional sense, Héctor is seemingly a perfect fit for the style Arsène Wenger installs into every team he field and has all the makings to become something sensational at the Emirates, if nurtured correctly.
How should Arsenal approach this situation?
For me, I feel the first thing on the list of priorities must be to extend Bacary Sagna’s contract. I share the widespread opinion that he is one of, if not, the best right-backs in the Premier League and have retained that belief over numerous seasons. Bearing in mind the stage of his career and the prospects below him in the pecking order, I believe the length of the contract should not be longer than three years, thus ensuring Carl Jenkinson and Héctor Bellerín are at least given their chance to prove themselves at the club. In my opinion, it would be poor to invest in a new right-back alike the previously linked Sébastien Corchia, Roberto Rosales or Fabinho, who have one, decisive, thing in common; all three are below the age of 25, which I believe would stunt or write off any chances of Jenkinson, if not also Bellerín, ‘making it’, which further backs-up my argument. Loaning out the Englishman from January onwards before reassessing the scenario in the summer, when a further twelve months of vital experience-building could serve very effective. I’ll leave it to Arsène, Dick, Ivan and Stan to work it out.
