Arsenal will be looking to secure Champions League football next season and challenge for silverware, and may decide to change formation to help achieve those feats
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Having missed out on Champions League football for next season, Mikel Arteta appears to be contemplating switching system with his Arsenal team.
The Gunners have been linked with Brazilian defender Gleison Bremer this summer, and his admission of preferring to play in a back-three may have unravelled Arteta’s plans. The Torino defender said: “I prefer a three-man defence because it’s in line with the system with which I’ve consecrated myself.
“I’ve learned how to use my head on the pitch. It’s not a natural quality, you must learn it. You need to understand when it’s the right time to press and when you need to track back.”
The Gunners played a back-four this season, but the arrival of Bremer, as well as William Saliba returning from his loan spell at Marseille, suggests that the North London outfit could be set to change their formation. Last year’s arrivals Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu have both thrived in a back-three previously before arriving at the Emirates Stadium, which could mean this is not a short-term plan concocted by Arteta.
Gabriel Magalhaes and White formed a strong partnership in defence for Arsenal, with Kieran Tierney and Tomiyasu making up the four. But the addition of another centre-back to the system could bring the best out of those individuals, especially with Tierney thriving when being allowed to run the channels and White suited by being able to carry the ball into midfield and fuel attacks from deep – as he did at Brighton.
Perhaps, Arteta may have realised that he is not getting the very best out of his current crop of players. With several of the key regulars showing ability elsewhere in a back-three and now that he is somewhat striker-less, the former Manchester City coach has been gifted the opportunity to change his team before adding fresh faces into the mix.
It is also worth noting that Nuno Tavares has often looked more suited to the wing-back role this season, with his defensive work raising questions. The Gunners have also shown interest in Middlesbrough wing-back Djed Spence, who thrived out on loan at Nottingham Forest.
Bremer impressed in the Serie A this season and Arsenal aren’t alone in their reported interest in the 25-year-old. Chelsea and Tottenham are also keen on the Brazil international, as well as Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
Arteta adding another central defender into his squad whilst already having Saliba returning to the club would mean that he has four international defenders competing for two starting spots in the current system, with the likes of Rob Holding and Calum Chambers also worth considering. Given that the fee involved for Bremer is likely to be around the £35million mark, the Torino star is likely to be an expensive bench warmer.
Speaking about the defender, his teammate Mergim Vojvoda said: “[Bremer] is very strong, an animal. He has made an incredible leap in quality in the last year. But he can still improve a lot because he is young. He has renewed, we hope he stays because he is really strong. He works hard and as soon as I arrived, I was impressed by how much he trained. He is also fast, he is tall and has made a great leap in quality on a technical level, with the ball at his feet. Work pays off, you can see it with him.”
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