Arsene Wenger has hinted that while new Arsenal signing, Sead Kolasinac, can play as wing-back, full-back Nacho Monreal can be moved centrally next season.
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- Wenger set to make Monreal permanent centre-back
The signing of Schalke left-back Kolasinac has raised questions over Monreal’s future with many suggesting that the 31-year-old’s days in north London are numbered. However, Wenger believes he has the solution.
“What he will give us is the fact that he’s a player who can give assists, who can go forward, who can contribute good crosses,” Wenger explained to Arsenal’s official website.
“It’s very important that we have that as well, because we have Kieran Gibbs, we have Nacho Monreal and we have him. But Nacho plays a lot now in central defence and in a three-man system I see him in there.
“So overall, I think [Kolasinac] can contribute a lot to help us to be more dangerous going forward.”
Monreal was pretty solid as a centre-back last term after Wenger switched from his trusty 4-2-3-1 formation to 3-4-3.
Although he only played centrally six times, one of these was against Chelsea in the FA Cup final and we all know how well he performed that day.
Kolasinac, however, is far more suited to playing as a left-back or wing-back.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Spaniard is staying. Athletic Bilbao are reportedly knocking on the door once again and this time it might be wise to allow defender to leave. However, with Per Mertesacker potentially taking a back seat for the final year of his deal, it’s looking more likely than before that Monreal will still be in north London next term.
The boss also spoke about Kieran Gibbs who has just one year left on his current Arsenal deal and is being increasingly linked with a move away from the Emirates this summer.