Arsenal plan summer swoop for PSG star – Would this be a useful signing for Arteta?

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Rohan Sengupta

Why Arsenal must snap up PSG’s Layvin Kurzawa this summer

According to France Football (h/t The Daily Mirror), Arsenal are planning to make a fresh bid for Paris Saint-Germain left-back Layvin Kurzawa after failing to land him in January.

The Frenchman, 27, was linked with Arsenal and Juventus during the winter transfer window but chose to stay put at Paris Saint-Germain. He has struggled for playing time this season owing to the form of Juan Bernat.

PSG left-back Layvin Kurzawa silences his critics. (Getty Images)
PSG left-back Layvin Kurzawa silences his critics. (Getty Images)

Layvin Kurzawa, who arrived at the Parisian club from AS Monaco back in 2015, has only started nine Ligue 1 games under boss Thomas Tuchel this season. The defender’s contract at PSG expires at the end of the season and Arsenal are keen to secure his services on a free transfer, the report adds. (h/t The Daily Mirror)

The Gunners have done very well of late, winning three Premier League games on the spin to climb to ninth in the table. They have shown signs of improvement under Mikel Arteta, who permanently replaced Unai Emery at the helm a couple of months back.

Yet, there have been a couple of areas in which Arsenal have continued to struggle. One of those is the defence, with the North London giants having conceded 36 goals in 28 games. They have been defensively vulnerable for the majority of the season and Arteta addressed the problem in January by signing defenders Cedric Soares and Pablo Mari on loan.

Mikel Arteta shakes hands with his Arsenal players. (Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta shakes hands with his Arsenal players. (Getty Images)

However, Arteta has been forced to play winger Bukayo Saka at left-back due to long-term shoulder injuries to Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac. Tierney, a £25million arrival from Celtic last summer, has struggled with injuries in his debut season at the Emirates, starting just four Premier League games.

Kolasinac has blown hot and cold throughout the campaign and while Saka has done admirably well at left-back, the youngster is not a natural defender. Having said that, the Gunners would do a smart job by signing Layvin Kurzawa on a free transfer from PSG in the summer.

Kurzawa previously shone at Monaco and developed himself as a fine attacking left-back, but his time at PSG has not gone according to the plan although he has managed to win a lot of trophies at Parc des Princes. The France international has racked up 123 appearances across all competitions for PSG, scoring 13 goals in the process.

Paris Saint-Germain's French defender Layvin Kurzawa celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Montpellier Herault SC at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. (Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain’s French defender Layvin Kurzawa celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Montpellier Herault SC at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. (Getty Images)

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The left-back has played just 14 Ligue 1 games so far this season as he’s struggled with fitness and form. However, Kurzawa is proven at the highest level, has bags of European experience and has the qualities to flourish in the Premier League. He would undoubtedly bolster Arsenal’s options on the left side of the defence, whilst adding depth to the squad.

Verdict

With both Tierney and Kolasinac failing to prove their fitness at Arsenal, Arteta must bring in reinforcements and add depth to the squad. And Kurzawa is a player who would certainly add quality to the team. Hence, the Gunners must snap him up this summer.