Former Gunner Bacary Sagna believes Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are Arsenal’s best recent signings, due to their consistent performances and versatility.
Speaking to The Italian Football Podcast this week, former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna argued that fellow full-backs Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are the best recent signings the club have made.
“I think Calafiori probably with Timber is the best recruit Arsenal have had for a long time, because they are reliable, and they can play many positions,” Sagna said.
“They’re quite versatile, and Mikel can count on them. They always put in a shift, they always deliver a good performance, and if you want to be champions, sometimes maybe you can have more exciting players, faster players, but these are the type of players that can make you win the league.”
In terms of their levels of performance, Timber and Calafiori are certainly among Arsenal’s most consistent players. It’s hard to think of many poor displays between the two of them combined over the last 12 months.
The issue both have had since joining Arsenal is staying fit. Timber obviously missed almost his entire first season at the club with an ACL injury, whilst Calafiori has been in and out of the team with various setbacks since joining.
To emphasise that point, ahead of Wednesday night’s game against Kairat Almaty, Calafiori looks set for his first appearance back after a nine-game absence, whilst Timber has been ruled out with a minor knock.
Both in terms of the statistics and what you can see with your eyes when they’re on the pitch, Calafiori and Timber are undeniably among the best in the Premier League at what they do.
The challenge is just getting them out there consistently in the big games, when Arsenal need them available.