It is clear that, following Hector Bellerin’s anterior cruciate ligament injury, Arsenal have a problem at right-back.
There are options in that position in Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Carl Jenkinson but none of them are particularly appealing.
Maitland-Niles, for instance, is more of an attack-minded player than a defender, while Lichtsteiner has struggled to cope with the pace and intensity of the Premier League and Jenkinson has made just one league appearance this season despite being fit for much of the campaign.
On the face of it, it seems that Arsenal will try and struggle through until the end of the campaign, hoping that Bellerin’s injury won’t be too costly.
There could, however, be a solution to this problem in the form of Jordi Osei-Tutu.
The 20-year-old is now in his fourth season at the club and was especially impressive as the U23s won the title last campaign.
This season Osei-Tutu has found it difficult to build up momentum due to injuries and suspension, but he is now fully fit.
On Monday night Osei-Tutu produced an impressive display in the first 45 minutes of the U23s’ game against West Ham United before the match was abandoned due to fog.
The youngster frequently pushed forwards down the right flank, combining excellently with winger Xavier Amaechi, and produced a series of teasing crosses.
Osei-Tutu is also dependable defensively, although one criticism of him is that he is occasionally a little too rash in the challenge.
On the whole, though, Osei-Tutu is an encouraging prospect and at the age of 20 it would be an ideal time to see whether he can cope with the demands of the senior game.
Rather surprisingly, Osei-Tutu didn’t head out on loan in the January transfer window, but that means that he will provide Unai Emery with an extra option if needed.
Despite having not played a minute of competitive senior football, Osei-Tutu has featured for the first-team in pre-season fixtures and has also made the bench on several other occasions.
It would certainly represent something of a risk if Osei-Tutu was to be thrown into the first-team, but, in the current circumstances, it could be a risk worth taking.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
Why not?
I tend to agree, but I would also like to see Mavropanos in the starting lineup instead of Mustafi, and I think playing the two of them together would maybe be too much of a risk.
What’s the risk? Top four look so increasingly unlikely, our defence is crap anyway and a bit of youthful energy might boost the attack a little
I agree. If we had a solid defence I would have questions but considering that certain members of our defence already makes basic mistakes on a weekly basis and costs us points…what’s the risk? Genuinely how can he be worse than Lichtsteiner and offer less in attack? Imagine if he becomes genuine competition to Bellerin – it will really help us to relocate transfer funds elsewhere.
I think it could end AMN’s Arsenal career if Emery gambled. He’s not getting a game in CM, stuck behind Guendouzi and Torreira, he’s not agile or tricky enough to play out wide. Would be a massive snub for sure.
I’d rather see Mustafi with an inexperienced but promising fullback outside of him given the way we play than an inexperienced centre half with lichsteiner or Jenkinson leaving him exposed
Part time Archbishop,full time gunner! ?
Wouldn’t mind at all tbh.
Out of seniour options though, I would definitely play AMN. Jenkinson doesn’t have the future with us (happy brthday by the way!), and I’d rather not talk about Lichtsteiner. AMN needs regular playing time at this stage of his career, and this seems like the only position where he could get it right now.
Has he been training with the first team these days, does anyone know?
From the training videos Arsenal put out, it dosen’t look like it.
We (Unai) need(s) to make up his mind about AMN otherwise he will become a second AOC. Why not play him on the right wing if he isn’t good enough for RB. Or don’t play him at all.
I too believe that the Corporal is our best option at RB right now after Hector’s injury.
Osei-Tutu I haven’t really seen enough of…
Problem? What problem? There is no problem as the club didn’t even search for a defender in january. Calm, guys. There is no defensive problems.
Yeah! Am sure there are a hole bunch of good defenders available for a loan move during the January window. Just look at all those good defenders who change club during that month…
Worth a go, licht when jenks clearly aren’t long term options and don’t offer enough to do a job in the short term (though I do feel someone’s going to well out of Jenkinson)
Tutu really in the first team mix? I see his name pop up as RB option all the time. Don’t think he even makes up the bench. Would be really happy if he gets a chance to prove but if this is not the time for him to play it’s never gonna be in the future.
I pray that Arsenal begins to value the likes of Nketia, Osei Tutu And Welbeck et all. They are excellent players who if the manager places much confidence in like he does the others, Arsenal will do well.
Majority of the players on the Invincible team were of African descent and did marvelously. By all means Osei Tutu needs to play for the senior; and we have to receive updates on Welbeck’s recovery.
Calm down, son. It’s got nothing to do with his ethnicity. I personally would love us to promote players from our academy more often (provided they are good enough). As a Londoner, I would feel a stronger affinity to the local boys making it. I was born and raised here to Nigerian parents, but I have just as much desire to see Emile Smith Rowe do bits for us as I do Reiss Nelson.
Give the boys a chance and let them show us what they can do.
Spot on.If some one said white instead of black there I am sure there would be a racist uproar.So you should get the same treatment-That was bloody Racist ?
Unai: make it so
A major injury is just how Bellerin came into the first team, so why not Osei-Tutu a go. Maitland Niles is not a full back and I don’t think it does his development any good. Hi instincts are not for danger and is often the one playing other teams onside.
The only other possible option is Mustafi, as he played their for Germany in the 2014 world cup. The benefit would be he can’t play centre back then!
More fantasy wishful thinking
He hasn’t been that convincing at U 23
But some people prefer the promise of the untested to players they imagine to be poorer than reality.
In the case of R back, what is the problem?
AMN is back in squad.
Also Lichsteiner may be over the hill and Jenkinson limited but I’d prefer either over TuTu.
Some very foggy thinking of late.
Indeed, one never understands how some fans think they know more than the coach who is watching these players everyday. If Osei-Tutu is good enough he’ll play. Jenko is good enough he would’ve played more than his one PL game in the last 2 years.
Stop it.
I would rather choose a Juventus Superstar
I would rather BE a Juventus Superstar. I’d refuse to train just to get my move to Arsenal. And I’d only ask for 299,999 a week because 300,000 is just an obscene wage for a football player!!.
There won’t be much better options for a debut than Huddersfield. Might as well give it a try.
For a start he’s just come back from injury and played what 4 or 5 games this season? I’m with the guys that don’t want to see any of the alternatives to Hector and AMN but I don’t believe Tutu will even come into Emery’s mind. I do however, hope the boy lives up to his hype and becomes our 2nd string next season.
Yes, please.
Play jenkinson
Absolutely right, He’s one of us.
Agreed. Jenks might not have the quality we all want for the team, but he leaves everything on the pitch when he’s given a chance, which is more than you can say of some.
The very first-first team matches young players play are often some of the best performances of their careers. In the past we’ve had players like Kerrea Gilbert, Craig Eastmond, Carl Jenkinson etc, play important league and champions league matches and not let us down at all. Johann Djourou made his premier league debut in an 8-0 league win if I remember correctly. There are countless examples of not particularly talented young players excelling from other teams also. These academy players, who didn’t develop into Arsenal quality in the long term, were nevertheless good for us in the short term. This… Read more »
Fusion with santori? ? Nice analysis tho ?
Haha whoops I was quite drunk when I stumbled in and wrote that, it’s something I feel very passionately about!
Youngsters first mistakes can be devastating to them. Getting beaten because of one would be a huge mental hurdle to overcome. Especially if they felt they were just used as a tactical stopgap to be replaced the next season by a “real youth prospect”. Confidence within the U-23 Squad could collapse as they saw their mates crushed in a meat grinder one by one.
Just sayin’. You have to look at potential downsides when you manage a squad, not just the potential gains.
If he can.. more power to him
And if he can’t.. still more power to him.
Criticise Wenger as much as you can but the man had balls to give youngsters a run and put his faith in them.
At a club like ours give the financial restrictions,this should be the mandatory requirement for the job.
We have the greatest right back in Juventus history playing for us. Arsenal fans are so ungrateful.
We should sign Maradona then, as I’m sure he’s available and not at all past it.
is he available on loan?