Hector Bellerin’s being ruled out of the entire season (and likely into the next) with a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury has left Arsenal manager Unai Emery with an unfortunate headache.
The two Spaniards – both manager and player – helped guide the Gunners to a statement-inducing bounce-back win over top-four rivals Chelsea a week after a lacklustre performance leading to defeat by West Ham.
With Bellerin now joining Rob Holding on the sidelines – both coincidentally with the same injury – and Emery already declaring that Arsenal would be unable to buy any players this January transfer window, attention has turned to Manchester United’s Eric Bailly, initially on a loan deal with a view to permanency in the summer, to shore up the Gunners’ defence for the second half of the season.
That approach, The Daily Mail reports, has been swiftly rebuffed by the Red Devils.
Eric Bailly may have started just one game under Man Utd interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær since the Norwegian took the reins from Jose Mourinho (and seeing a straight red in that fixture against Bournemouth), but seemingly retains his place in the Baby-Faced Assassin’s plans. The Ivorian is currently contracted at the club for another 18 months.
Instead, with Pep Guardiola this week referencing his defender, his ‘Superman’, Nicolas Otamendi’s unhappiness at his club Manchester City, Arsenal must look to the Argentine centre-back to rectify their current defensive woes.
With Otamendi itching for gametime, not looking hopeful in displacing the centre-back pairing of Aymeric Laporte and John Stones at City, and the versatility to play either in the heart on on the right flank, the defender could be the player Emery needs to make his top target, particularly with envisioning achieving Champions League football for next season.
The 30-year-old was a fundamental cog in Manchester City record-breaking 2017/18 season, starting 33 of the Blues 38 league games, and would undoubtedly provide the experience and reliability in the backline Arsenal so desperately need right now.
With the 2-0 win over Chelsea at the Emirates last gameweek, Arsenal have kept just four clean sheets from 23 league fixtures this season.
They’ve conceded 32 goals this campaign, almost twice as many as City, and nearly ten goals more than fierce North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal next have a must-watch FA Cup slog against Manchester United, before taking on Cardiff City the following week in the Premier League. Emery’s side currently sit fifth in the table, three points behind Chelsea.