Jose Mourinho has given Mikel Arteta and Arsenal a solution to the potential crisis emerging at right-back.
According to transfer experts Fabrizio Romano and Gianluca Di Marzio, Arsenal are set to send Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan to AS Roma once the January transfer window opens.
The 24-year-old’s game time has been extremely limited this season, which was an issue the Englishman had complained about at the start of the season.
With Arsenal set to let the youngster leave, it will now mean Edu will have to step up his search for a new right-back to put to bed any potential defensive crisis that could emerge.
Takehiro Tomiyasu has been marvelous since signing for Arsenal in a £19.8m deal from Serie A side Bologna on transfer deadline day.
Arsenal had been seriously weak down the right-hand side but Tomiyasu has come in and injected defensive solidarity which is a reason why Arsenal boasts one of the best defensive records in the league so far in this campaign.
However, the Japanese international’s excellent performances have disguised the problems Arsenal still have defensively, which is the lack of quality to back-up Tomiyasu if he is unavailable for selection.
Maitland-Niles was the best option to provide cover for him, but with a move to AS Roma looking a certainty to happen, it leaves the club with Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers as the alternatives to Tomiyasu.
Arsenal’s recent victory over Leeds at Elland Road was proof that the backup for Tomiyasu isn’t at a good enough level, as Cedric came on to replace the 23-year-old, and instantly Arteta’s defence looked weaker which caused the loss of a clean sheet.
The Gunners have been linked with right-backs to provide competition for Tomiyasu, and the sale of Maitland-Niles should now push Edu into fifth gear in his pursuit for a signing in this position.
Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest would be the perfect option in Tomiyasu's absence and would open up new possibilities for Arteta and his team moving forward. Dest certainly looks a better bet as a right-wing-back than Tomiyasu if Arteta did ever decide to field a back three, for example.
And a transfer deal is possible because according to Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, the La Liga side have listed both Frenkie de Jong and Dest as being available for transfer, along with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
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