Confidence or arrogance? Is the Arsenal manager making a tactical decision or simply throwing his hands in the air?
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Arsenal club manager Arsene Wenger reportedly will not look to sign a new center-back during the summer transfer period.
According to the Metro, Wenger stated point-blank that despite being ravaged by injuries in the final leg of the season, he is still confident in the abilities of his defensive players, namely Gabriel Paulista, Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers.
“Debuchy can play there, Monreal can play there so you can say we are not out to buy a central defender,” Wenger said. “And Gabriel will be a great central defender, believe me. So we have now sorted out the centre backs.”
As for Chambers, Wenger said he’s looking forward to moving him to a new role in the starting defense after he was pushed down the depth chart this past season.
“I believe that Calum will be a centre back more than a right back,” Wenger said. “And I want to develop him more as a centre back; even a central midfielder… He has the stamina, the power and the quality to be a central midfielder or a central defender.”
Arsenal currently holds 3rd place in the Premier League – which will qualify it for Champions League in the 2015-16 season – but with lingering injuries to star players like Danny Welbeck, Aaron Ramsey and Debuchy, the short term detriments for the Gunners could be in jeopardy. The Gunners defend their FA Cup against Aston Villa on May 30th and several of their players are still not fully healed.
The Gunners play Swansea City today, so it will be worth noting if Wenger’s club can use some smoke and mirrors to make up for their current injury woes.
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