There is a real chance that Arsenal will seal a deal to sign Leonardo Spinazzola this month.
Arsenal currently view bolstering their defensive contingent as a priority.
According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners are keen to add a defender and a striker to their ranks this winter.
Mikel Arteta certainly lacks defensive options to call upon at this time. Summer signing Jurrien Timber is still recovering from a long-term injury that he picked up at the start of the campaign, and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has had injury problems of his own this season, is currently competing at the Asia Cup with Japan. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White have both also had their fitness issues to deal with.
A new full-back would be a welcome addition to the Arsenal squad, and with all of his experience, Leonardo Spinazzola ought to be able to just slot in and hit the ground running at the Emirates Stadium. Given the Gunners are halfway through their season and in the middle of a title race, they need a player to come in who can make an immediate impact.
As stated by journalist Dean Jones, speaking to GiveMeSport, “if there is one position you can get optimistic about, I think it is about Arsenal bringing in a defender to pad out the squad and also raise the quality a little bit. The thing with Spinazzola is that he is actually available in this window. If this is the route that Arsenal want to go down, in terms of signing somebody, this has real potential.”
“Arsenal, obviously, don’t have a huge budget. I’ve been told to be very cautious about measuring who would be a realistic signing and who wouldn’t. But, when you consider this one, it does actually seem to be one that would fit. For sure, it is a position that Arteta wants to fix.”
Why Arsenal should make a move for Leonardo Spinazzola
At 30-years-old, Spinazzola isn’t necessarily a long-term solution for Arsenal. However, as his current contract is set to expire at the end of this season, he is certainly an affordable one, as Roma seem willing to offload the Italian for a cut-price fee this month.
The 24-cap Italy international is also a natural fit for Arteta’s tactical setup at Arsenal. Whilst he is a left-back, he is naturally right-footed. This means that he will be comfortable drifting infield from the flank into the middle of the park, as Zinchenko is instructed to do.
Spinazzola also likes to play on the front foot, get forward at every opportunity, and be aggressive in his attacking play. His natural pace and athleticism will allow him to provide plenty of support for the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on the left wing.
The Roma man is also fairly versatile, and can provide cover at right-back if required. Whilst he doesn’t match up with the usual age profile that Arsenal tend to target, and he has had injury issues of his own throughout his career, Spinazzola has the capacity to be a great addition to Arteta’s squad this season.
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