Arsenal are set to complete a deal with Werder Bremen for their enormous centre half Per Mertesacker – and as a result will abandon their pursuit of Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill.
Mertesacker is a hugely experienced international defender with 75 caps for Germany, and at 6’6″ would be better placed than any of the current Arsenal back line to deal with an aerial bombardment.
However, he has his flaws, and the biggest concern for Gunners fans will be his lack of mobility.
As one might expect for such a gargantuan player, Mertesacker is not particularly quick off the ground, and with Arsenal’s high line he could be exposed.
As an option for games against teams who play more direct football, he could be a hugely valuable alternative, and with a mooted price of £8m due to the single year remaining on his contract, he is not much of a risk.
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