The defender joined in a big-money move from Valencia this summer.
Germany’s Shkodran Mustafi and Italy’s Simone Zaza in action
Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has told talkSPORT he is hoping summer signing Shkodran Mustafi can bring captain material to the side this season.
The German defender was a late addition to the Gunners squad in the summer transfer window as Arsene Wenger looked to improve his defensive options following injuries to Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista.
Many are hoping he can be the top centre-half that the side has been lacking for a number of years, with many fans having called for the club to spend big money on that position in the past.
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Parlour, though, is hoping that the Germany international can add leadership qualities to their back line.
“I’m hoping he’s got captain material, that he can be the leader,” he told talkSPORT.
“They desperately need someone because Koscielny is a fantastic defender but he’s not really that defender that you need.”
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The pressure will certainly be on Mustafi to hit the ground running at the Emirates this season.
Expectations are high, with the price tag putting him up among the world’s most expensive defenders and the fans expecting an elite level player as a result.
Indeed, if he doesn’t have an immediate impact, it will be interesting to see how quickly people use him to criticise Arsene Wenger once again.
Germany’s Shkodran Mustafi reacts after missing a chance to score
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