Arsenal Open Talks For Versatile Defender - Here's Why The Move Would Be A Good One

Arsenal's defensive partnership of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny has been something to behold this season. However, this has probably left Thomas Vermaelen considering his future at the club due to limited game time. If the Gunners were to lose the Belgian, they'd need to find a replacement for him pretty quickly.

According to the Metro, Cheikhou Kouyate is on Arsenal's radar after the players agent revealed that the north London side have enquired about the availability of his client. A summer move could be on the cards for this player, but would it be a good move?

I, for one, would very much welcome this move for a whole host of reasons. Here are a couple.

Firstly, this player is incredibly versatile. So while he would be being bought as a centre-back, he can also cover the flanks and just in front of the defence in a deep lying midfield role. For me, versatility is one of the leading attributes in today's game.

Arsenal are a team that frequently have players out injured and they often have players filling in positions they've never played in before which is a recipe for a disaster. Kouyate has got experience in all the positions that I listed which makes him the perfect utility player. 

The second reason, which you kind of expect, is the fact that Kouyate is a very talented player. He's very much like a mix between Koscielny and Mertesacker. He has the height and prowess in the air like Mertesacker but is also quick and intelligent like Koscielny. Obviously he has his flaws but his strengths definitely outweigh his weaknesses. 

A great player that I would very much want at Arsenal.