Arsenal Opinion: Why Lukas Klostermann will be a good fit for the Gunners

Last year in June, a report from German publication Bild claimed Arsenal were very much interested in signing RB Leipzig defender Lukas Klostermann.

The one-cap Germany international, 22, had a really good last season with Leipzig, dishing out a series of impressive performances at both right-back and left-back. He has done well in this campaign as well, scoring three goals and assisting as many times in 32 appearances.

Keeping his solid performances in the 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign in check, Arsenal should definitely reignite their interest in Lukas Klostermann and sign him this summer.

The Gunners have again been leaky defensively despite the additions of Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Stephan Lichtsteiner in the summer transfer window. Sokratis has been undoubtedly the best defender in Unai Emery’s first season at the Emirates, but the Greek centre-half has lacked a reliable partner alongside him.

As far as the full-back options are concerned, Hector Bellerin has shown vast improvements under Emery before his season ended cruelly due to knee ligament damage. Ainsley Maitland-Niles has shown great promise as a right wing-back but he remains suspect at right-back.

So has been Sead Kolasinac, who excels as a left wing-back rather at left-back due to his lapses in concentration and extra defensive burden.

Nacho Monreal has been a consistent performer since joining Arsenal in 2013 but his contract expires in June and will leave the club, and so shall Lichtsteiner, who has been a disappointment at the Emirates.

If Arsenal are planning to compete for the title next season, Emery needs to overhaul his defence completely. It won’t be an easy process and cannot happen in just a couple of transfer windows but if Emery manages to offload some deadwood this summer, the transition into a new era will be easier.

Pumping in fresh, energetic and young blood is vital for Emery and signing Klostermann would certainly be a step in the right direction. The German is a right-back by trade but can play in any position along the backline. His versatility would give Emery a lot of tactical flexibility in bigger games as the Spanish tactician has shown this season by changing formations as per a game’s need.

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Klostermann is an able defender, operating at a very high intensity using his stamina, energy, pace and strength to good effect. An excellent passer of the ball, the former Germany youth international is a shrewd reader of the game and is an asset to have in the box during set-pieces.

Verdict

The addition Klostermann would undeniably bolster Arsenal’s defensive ranks. His versatility could prove to be vital to the north London outfit, what with their ageing backline, and bringing the 22-year-old to the Emirates would leave them in good shape ahead of the 2019/20 Premier League campaign.