Kaan Kurt in action for Gladbach II (Getty Images)
According to The Sun, Premier League side Arsenal are tracking German teenager Kaan Kurt.
The 18-year-old full-back currently plays for Borussia Monchengladbach II in Germany’s fourth tier but is yet to make an appearance for the club’s first team. A regular feature within Monchengladbach’s under-19 side, Kurt has featured 13 times in the league for Monchengladbach II this season and is seen as a future star in the making.
Kurt has also spent most of his international career playing for Germany’s youth sides from the under-15’s to the under-19’s most recently. A right-back primarily, Kurt’s defensive abilities have seen him feature in a variety of roles in his career to date.
The youngster is equally capable of playing on the left side as he did twice for Monchengladbach II this term. However, his current contract ties him down to Monchengladbach until 2022 and is valued at around £4million.
At present, Arsenal have as many as four right-backs in their side. However, the club managed by Mikel Arteta have endured some problems in that role this season that has seen them slip to a lowly 9th in the league.
Arteta’s side have struggled with inconsistency in the defence throughout this season after losing their first-choice man Hector Bellerin to an injury last year. Though Bellerin made a comeback in November after his long injury lay off, he has never looked the same.
To add to the Gunners’ woes, he once again suffered a hamstring injury, which has ruled him out of the side. With injuries still persisting, Bellerin has managed a mere seven appearances this season that has seen Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Calum Chambers share the right-back duties this term.
However, both have been far from impressive, managing 14 league appearances each. This even saw Arteta resort to bringing in experienced full-back Cedric Soares from Southampton on loan in January. Unfortunately, the Portuguese also suffered an injury and is yet to make an appearance for the Gunners.
Moreover, he is expected to return to his side at the end of this season, meaning Arsenal have clear problems at right-back. Considering all this, young Kurt’s inclusion will only make them stronger as he could prove to be an excellent future investment for them.
Despite having enough right-backs in their side, Arsenal have struggled to find a regular in that role after Bellerin’s injury. Kurt could be a good addition to them as he is young and talented. Thus, it would be wise if the Gunners make a move for the rising talent.
