Why Arsenal signing Jordan Amavi would be a wise move
According to Birmingham Live, Arsenal are preparing to make an offer for Jordan Amavi. Mikel Arteta seems to be keen to add another left-back after the sale of Sead Kolasinac.
Amavi has emerged as a target with the player refusing to extend his stay at Marseille. His current deal ends at the close of this season, thus making him a viable option for clubs such as Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Napoli.
Profile
Jordan Amavi spent 5 years in OGC Nice where he first broke into the senior team in 2013. After two years playing for Nice’s first-team, Aston Villa brought the player to England in 2015.
After making 48 appearances for the Villans, Amavi returned to France at Marseille. The 26-year-old has represented France at the youth level but is yet to be capped by their senior team. (h/t Transfermarkt)
The Ligue 1 side signed him in 2017, first on a loan basis and then making it permanent. Since then, the Frenchman has made over 100 appearances for the club. With a dominant left foot, Amavi is a natural left-back but can play as a wing-back or left sided midfielder if required.
Amavi can be a good cover for Tierney
January gave Arsenal a good chance to refresh their squad. They managed to clear out deadwood players like Sokratis, Sead Kolasinac, Mesut Ozil and William Saliba. It gave the club a chance to add to their ranks, as Matt Ryan and Martin Odegaard have arrived.
However, the exit of Kolasinac leaves Kieran Tierney as the only natural left-back in the side. While Bukayo Saka and Maitland-Niles can chip in that position, Saka is more suited to playing as a forward and Maitland-Niles is a right-sided player. The club have used Cedric in that position but it’s clear that they need a natural player there.
With Arsenal finally showing signs of an upturn in form, they need to make sure they are adequately stocked up in all positions, including left-back.
Adding someone like Jordan Amavi can be a good move from Arsenal. He may not be the most appealing option given his contributions in attack but he does remain a huge asset in defence. Amavi has been a part of Marseille’s solid defence which conceded only 29 goals in the Ligue 1 last year.
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Amavi is in the physical prime of his career at 26 and still has his best years ahead of him. With so many fixtures in the second half of the season, pursuing another left-back would be wise of the Gunners. It would not only add depth but also competition for Kieran Tierney.
