Arsenal Opinion: Gunners should drop their interest in Liverpool outcast Alberto Moreno
According to the Daily Star, Arsenal have been linked with a shock swoop for out-of-contract Liverpool left-back Alberto Moreno in the summer transfer window, with reports claiming that manager Unai Emery is keen to reunite with his former Sevilla player.
Moreno is set to be released by Liverpool as a free agent when the Spaniard’s contract at Anfield expires at the end of June. The 26-year-old is likely to have plenty of suitors this summer but the news of Arsenal’s links with the player probably comes as a big shock to the fans at north London.
The Spaniard made a shockingly low 5 appearances in all competitions for the Reds this past season and played second-fiddle to first-choice Andrew Robertson, as Liverpool finished runners-up in the Premier League and clinched the UEFA Champions League title for the first time in 14 years.
Moreno’s time at Anfield ended with silverware but he might as well be in the Premier League next term, with Arsenal prepared to offer him an escape route.
Moreno, who made his move to Liverpool from Spanish heavyweights Sevilla back in the summer of 2014, endured mixed fortunes over the course of his five seasons at Anfield.
He was the undisputed first-choice for the first couple of seasons before slipping down the pecking order at the start of the 2016-17 season and the Spaniard gradually turned into a forgotten figure since the arrival of Robertson from Hull City.
The 26-year-old made a total of 141 appearances for the Reds in all competitions, scoring thrice and setting up another 11 in the process.
While those numbers might not look all that bad on paper, Moreno came under scrutiny for some high-profile defensive errors during his time at Anfield, with his lack of awareness and poor anticipation at the back earning him plenty of criticism from the fans and the pundits.
Moreno, though really exciting and energetic further up the pitch, proved himself to be a defensive liability at Liverpool. His inability to adapt to the dynamic nature of the Premier League was pretty apparent, whilst he also struggled to deal with the quick transitions in play against quality opposition.
Moreno’s concentration and composure have also been called into question numerous times in recent years. He showed a lot of promise in his initial days at Liverpool but it became more and more apparent as time went by that the Spaniard was never going to be a top-quality left-back in the Premier League.
Moreover, the Spaniard’s propensity for getting squared up and humiliated by fast and agile wingers is known to all.
To put things into perspective, it is not difficult to understand why Arsenal have shown an interest in the 26-year-old. The Gunners have only a meagre budget of around £40 million at their disposal this summer, which has apparently forced them to look at bargain deals and free-agents in the market.
Indeed, Arsenal’s links with Moreno makes a lot of sense on paper, given that Emery knows the player well from his managerial days at Sevilla and the Gunners desperately need a new left-back to replace the ageing Nacho Monreal.
Signing him on a free transfer won’t do Arsenal much harm but, in all honesty, he is not the kind of player that the Gunners need to bring in this summer if they are really serious about challenging for silverware.
Agreed, Arsenal need to start looking for a long-term successor to the throne of Monreal given that Sead Kolasinac, though quite handy in the attacking third, is still very much a suspect defensively. Hence, the Gunners need to ensure that they invest in a promising youngster of a proven player who would possibly be an upgrade on their existing defensive options.
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Monreal hardly ticks that box and Kolasinac would probably do a better job if he stays in the Premier League fot another season or two. keeping that in mind, Arsenal should be wary of the consequences of signing Alberto Moreno and they would do themselves a huge favour by dropping their interest in the Spaniard.
Surely, they need to aim a lot higher than signing Premier League outrcasts.
