Arsenal are interested in AC Milan and Swiss international left back Ricardo Rodriguez according to the Daily Mail. The Gunners are facing an injury crisis at left back with Sead Kolašinac out for 8-10 weeks and Nacho Monreal nursing a knee issue. While Monreal is expected back in training on Tuesday, he is unlikely to be fit for the season opener against Manchester City.
That means Arsenal’s opening day starter at left back will be...Ainsley Maitland-Niles. While AMN acquitted himself well as a fill-in last season, having a young, converted-central midfield player getting regular minutes at left back is suboptimal for a club with designs on the top 4 and a deep Europa League run.
Even absent the current injury situation, Rodriguez would be a good buy for Arsenal. Nacho Monreal is 32-years-old and may not have more than one or two good seasons left (for the record, I hated writing that — Nacho was low-key one of the club’s best, most consistent players last season). Sead Kolašinac has shown flashes of brilliance, with powerful, highlight reel runs that made him a fan favorite, but has not yet found the week-in, week-out consistency required of a starter at a top-level club.
At 25-years-old, Rodriguez (along with Kolašinac, also 25) would lock down the left side of the Arsenal defense for years to come. While it is not clear which of the two is better on their best day, the Swiss international has shown himself to be the more consistent performer.
However, Milan’s reported asking price of £30m might be to steep for the Gunners. The reports are that after the summer purchases of Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Bernd Leno, Matteo Guendouzi, and Lucas Torreira and the addition of Stephan Lichtsteiner’s wages, Arsenal must sell to buy. The club may be doing just that — Chuba Akpom has already been sold, Calum Chambers is going out on loan, Lucas Perez appears to be headed to West Ham, and Arsenal are soliciting offers for Danny Welbeck.