Arsenal fans have been asking Arsene Wenger to sign a center-half now all summer and it appears that the Gunners have finally done that. The surprise is that it is Germany centre-back Per Mertesacker and not England center-half Gary Cahill.
It appears that the Cahill deal is dead (will be interesting if he signs at Arsenal next summer on a free) and that instead Arsenal instead signed Mertesacker for a reported £8million.
Mertesacker, who is 26-years old and 6ft 6in, brings size and experience to the Arsenal defence. Mertesacker’s composure on the ball is matched by his precision in the tackle – he is considered one of the cleanest tacklers in Germany and rarely receives bookings. He is renowned for putting his height to good use at set-pieces in the opposition’s area, and he should help improve Arsenal’s woeful defending from crosses and set pieces. Arsenal conceded 53.3% of their goals from set pieces last season, a higher proportion than any other team in the Premier League.
Really good signing. Along with TV and Santos, the Arsenal defence has gotten a lot stronger in the last 24 hours.
What do you think of Mertesacker?