After losing Bacary Sagna to Manchester City on a bossman transfer this summer, Arsenal are in the market for a replacement.
The Gunners have been linked with moves for Toulouse’s right back Serge Aurier, Seamus Coleman of Everton amongst others.
Aurier looks the leading candidate especially after Coleman signed a new 5 year deal with Everton.
Arsenal’s chances of signing the Irish defender has been snuffed out with him extending his stay at Goodinson Park.
According to reports, a new name has been added to the shortlist and it is that of Newcastle right back Mathieu Debauchy. Who will Wenger go for between the Ivorian and theFrenchman?
In my own opinion, I think Debauchy is a better replacement for Sagna than Debauchy.
Debauchy and Sagna are both French internationals and in Les Bleus team at the World Cup, Debauchy has been the first choice right back.
If Arsenal are looking for who to replace Sagna, it isn’t out of place to go for someone that is seen as been better than him.
Another edge the Newcastle man has is the Premier League experience and that is one that that cannot be ignored.
Life in England isn’t as easy as most people think. There are top players that moved to England and became a shadow of themselves.
The right back position is a key component of the defence, Wenger has to put the right man there.
Debauchy already understands the Premier League after two seasons at Newcastle and that means he should be able to hit the ground running at Arsenal immediately unlike Aurier that would need time to adapt to his new environment.
Another issue that is worth considering is AFCON. There was no African Nations Cup this year but it returns next year.
Should Arsenal sign Aurier, they would be without the Ivorian for between 6-8 weeks ( December – February) if the Elephants make it to the finals of the Nations Cup. Can Arsenal afford to be without their first choice right back for so long at a period when the race for the Premier League would be heating up?
Finally, the issue of age. Africans players and the issue of age cheat.
Aurier is no doubt a talented player but could he really be 21? I doubt it.
His abilities show a player that is much older than that.
It is not as though it is wrong to be older but when the age is deliberately been hidden then it is a big problem.
I could remember Eboue was brought in, in 2005 and then he claimed to be in his early 20s, we all thought he was a youngster but under 4 years he had become a shadow of his bubbling self.
Is it not a surprise that Eboue couldn’t even make the Ivorian squad to the World Cup.
Even if Aurier was the in-form player, at least Eboue could have made the bench if not that he has really gone down.
No doubt age has caught up with him. Arsenal cannot afford to make the same mistake with Aurier. If Wenger is insistent on Aurier, Arsenal should subject him to MRI scan to ascertain his true age. If he is indeed 21, then good news for Arsenal but if it is revealed that he is older, Arsenal should weigh their options.
We need stability in defence and that means a long term solution. Sagna was at Arsenal for 8 years, his replacement should be able to stay for at least 6 years. Someone with a falsified age cannot stay that long.
Debauchy who would be 29 next month is certainly not a long term solution to the right backsituation but at least Wenger already knows he should be on the lookout for his replacement and that is better than someone whose age would be flattering to deceive.
Both men are within Arsenal’s reach. As France’s first choice right back, Debauchy would want to move to a top club, play in the Champions League. All these Arsenal would offer him. The same applies to the Ivorian. The buck lies on Wenger’s table to choose who he wants.
