Historically, football fans have come to understand that centre-backs who are massive in size cannot be fast.
Former Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker was a great example of that.
The same goes for Arsenal’s current defenders – William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes – who are both big and reasonably quick, but neither is rapid.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven is a rare exception, and Arsenal have been looking to sign a player who is similar to him in that regard – Luiz Benedetti.
Imagine you are Andrea Berta. Who is your top target for Arsenal in the summer transfer window?
Arsenal target Luiz Benedetti is a giant who is also absolutely rapid
Benedetti is one of the most talented young defenders in Brazil right now.
The 19-year-old plays for Palmeiras, and his talent, performances and potential have caught the eye of several big clubs.
Sportwitness relayed news that Arsenal enquired about signing Benedetti with a €10 million (£8.6m) proposal, but Palmeiras have made it clear it will take at least twice as much to get him.
That figure could well be worth it too because of the young Brazilian’s physical capabilities.
Former Palmeiras U20s coach Lucas Andrade, who has worked with Benedetti, has revealed that the teenager has reached rapid speeds despite being a giant of a defender, standing 6ft 6in tall.
He told PodPorco: “Benedetti is a spectacular centre-back, maybe a complete player, and I’m saying this having worked with players like Vitor Reis.
“But Benedetti is a guy who is two metres tall and reaches 36 km/h.
“It’s incredible, but it’s not easy to be a centre-back in the first team. The fans naturally want a ready defender. They don’t want to hear about potential – they want to see the team win and the defender perform.
“So sometimes we need to take one step back to take two forward. I think Benedetti is another player who, if we get the chance to see him here, people will really enjoy what he can do.
“And if it’s not here, we will watch him a lot in the Premier League and the Champions League. He’s already had many offers to leave, but he has the club’s trust.”
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Arsenal’s future in defence already looks bright
Benedetti’s profile is incredibly unique, and if Arsenal can get him for a reasonable fee, he’s definitely someone worth investing in.
Irrespective of what happens there, the Gunners’ future in defence is in safe hands.
Cristhian Mosquera is still only 21, Riccardo Calafiori is 23, and Piero Hincapie is 24. Even Saliba is just 25 years old.
If you look at the academy, Arsenal have a potential superstar in Marli Salmon, while the likes of Callan Hamill, Jadon Dixon and Brayden Clarke have shown promise as well.
If the Gunners continue developing all the above players like they are doing now, they will continue to have one of the best defences in Europe for a long, long time.
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