Arsenal defender Kyle Bartley has been on loan at Rangers this season. Should he be given a chance at the Emirates?
In Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal fans will hope they have a centre-back pairing to last for a generation.
To win trophies, especially the Premier League, we all know that more than just two are required, as form, injury, and fatigue take their toll.
Beyond the two already mentioned, Per Mertesacker is a solid choice, and fans will hope Jan Vertonghen signs, but right now it appears he is closer to a switch to rivals Tottenham.
Then for Arsenal fans, uneasy options present themselves. The out of form and out of luck Johan Djourou, Ignasi Miquel, and Sebastien Squillaci, who still has one year left on his contract if the club cannot off-load him this summer.
Fear not though, a new option will present itself to Arsene Wenger in pre-season, when youngster Kyle Bartley returns from his loan spell in Scotland with Rangers.
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Is he good enough? Well most would agree he deserves a chance to show what he can do, given that fourth choice is the best he can realistically aim for early on. Nobody is calling for him to be thrown straight into the first team.
What Arsenal fans are split on, is whether Johan Djourou has a future at the club. Two seasons ago he was showing signs of reaching his potential, but after an injury in early 2011, he struggled, and this season just gone was a disaster for him.
The only positive, was him being rewarded with a new contract in February, a decision criticised by a section of the Arsenal support.
Many feel that he will never improve substantially to be at the level required, and while others disagree, there is an argument for selling him this summer and giving a youngster like Bartley a chance.
Kyle Bartley was 21 yesterday, and made 19 appearances for Rangers last season, his second spell at the club after a brief loan at the end of the 2010/11 season.
Their financial struggles mean signing the defender is a no-go, so the former Arsenal reserves captain will return to his parent club, where he has a long-term contract.
Bartley’s versatility is a nod in his favour. He can play in midfield, and importantly he can play at right-back, where Djourou so miserably failed to fill in when Bacary Sagna was injured in January.
With a previous spell at Sheffield United also under his belt, his time at Rangers will have toughened him up, and he will no doubt feel he is ready to give Premier League football a crack.
Whether Arsenal decide to send him on loan, as Tottenham did successfully with young centre-back Steven Caulker to Swansea City this season, is up to them.
But there is certainly a case for Bartley to be given a spot in Arsenal’s defensive set up. At least to be given a chance in pre-season and go from there.
If he shows that he is not up to the standard Arsenal need, then move him on, but he deserves to be considered as a back-up option for the club.
Should Arsenal give Bartley an opportunity? Should Djourou be kept?
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
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