Why Matthias Ginter can help Arsenal’s defensive issues next season
Sky Sports has reported that Arsenal and Tottenham have entered the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back Matthias Ginter. Both teams are looking for defensive reinforcements and believe that the German defender is their man, with the player doing relatively well in the Bundesliga.
The 25-year-old German international made the move from Borussia Dortmund to Monchengladbach in the summer of 2017, after struggling to make an impact at the former. Things have been great for him since, as he has been playing most games this season. Not only that, his ability to stay fit and even play as a defensive midfielder is pretty impressive, to say the least.
Saying Arsenal have had defensive issues this season would be a massive understatement. The Gunners have shipped in 36 goals so far, the third-most among the top-ten Premier League sides. Not only that with Laurent Koscielny getting no younger, and Shkodran Mustafi struggling to make an impact, manager Unai Emery needs a fit and in-form centre-back.
Given the club’s issues with transfer funds, Ginter is easily among the cheapest and best value for money players around.
The 25-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach star has shown his value on more than one occasion this season. A German international, he has won 23 caps and is on course to earn lots more given his skill-set. As someone who can play as a defensive midfielder, the 25-year-old centre-back is cool and calm with and without the ball.
Unlike Mustafi, Ginter rarely panics in possession, having an idea of what to do with it. Not only that, given that Unai Emery prefers his defenders to play out from the back, it would fit the way the Monchengladbach star functions.
The 25-year-old is a great passer of the ball, with an 88% passing accuracy this season, which is far better than most of the current Arsenal defenders. Statistics will show that Matthias Ginter would easily slip into any Arsenal formation/system – be it in a 4-3-3 or 3-5-3 or even in a 4-2-3-1. The manager prefers the latter.
But with Tottenham also in the race, the Gunners need to make a move fast to take the player away from their rivals. If the rumours about their transfer budget are true, then Arsenal might have to spend their money with the utmost care. Buying Ginter would fall into that category.
