Arsenal Opinion: Why Fagner would be a good fit at the Emirates Stadium?

Arsenal’s incoming technical director Edu has urged the club to sign right-back Fagner from Brazilian club Corinthians. The Gunners are set to confirm the return of their former player once his commitments with the Brazil national team are completed at the Copa America.

Unai Emery has a tight budget to operate with following Arsenal’s failure to qualify for the Champions League. Keeping in mind that Emery inherited an average squad from Arsene Wenger and didn’t get the backing from the Arsenal board last summer, the Spanish tactician will be quite satisfied with how things panned out in his debut season at the Emirates Stadium.

However, the North London giants are in need of bringing in reinforcements in multiple areas of the pitch to put up a formidable unit for the upcoming season.

One of the areas Emery has to strengthen over the summer is his defence, which conceded as many as 51 goals in the Premier League last season. It was one of the worst defensive records amongst the top-ten sides in the division.

And while a new central defender continues to be a priority, the Arsenal tactician needs to find cover and competition for the likes of Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Stephan Lichtsteiner departed at the start of the month, following a disappointing 12 months at the club. Meanwhile, Bellerin is unlikely to be fully fit for the start of the new season as he continues his rehabilitation from the cruciate knee ligament injury he suffered against Chelsea in January.

Maitland-Niles did a commendable job at right-back and as a right wing-back when Emery preferred three at the back system. But he is 21 and cannot be relied upon for the entire season, even though Bellerin would be back at some point during the 2019/20. Thus, making a move for Fagner makes sense.

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Fagner, 30, previously played for PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg in Europe but failed to do much. Nevertheless, he could be an excellent short-term option to consider for the Gunners, who have financial constraints this summer.

The Brazilian is a dynamic right-back, with well-rounded offensive and defensive attributes. He is someone who won’t break the bank and could be a decent player to have in the squad.

Verdict

As Arsenal will continue playing in the Europa League, it should be an absolute no-brainer for Emery to add much-needed depth and stability to his squad.

And adding a player like Fagner would be a step in the right direction, as Emery looks to strengthen his leaky backline in a bid to challenge for a much-awaited return to the Champions League.