Mustafi can be our Mertesacker 2.0 - with pace!

Shkodran Mustafi has earned his former club a decent sum via the defender's transfer to Arsenal, and while there are mitigating factors to the high transfer fee, it should not overshadow what a special player we have signed.

The figure is a reported £35million, and Valencia were always going to hold out for the maximum amount. The Spanish club are in dire fiscal straits, and despite their wishes to hold on to the German, a large amount of zeros on a cheque was always going to trump their on field desires.

Arsenal have signed a player who, being just 24 years old, can provide a stable foundation for many years to come. The German international is of course a World Cup winner, which adds a certain lustre to his name, but he did so playing on the right of the defence. His versatility is another string to his bow, as he is just as comfortable in either position.

The man with the name that cannot fit into a chant can boast of a wealth of experience, which at such a young age is a huge asset over defenders of the same age. Mustafi started in the youth systems of Germany, but an early move to Everton—where he made a single substitute appearance—and subsequent transfers to Sampdoria and Valencia have given him a baptism to all styles of football. His spell in Italy in particular, where defending is an art form, will be of particular use.

His experience and versatility makes a huge difference. Another tick in the box is his exemplary technique. There are a host of videos on YouTube which showcase the German's deft touch; juggling the ball with all parts of his boots and making it look simple. Not exactly in the typical defenders skillset — aside from Laurent Koscielny of course (who can forget his skill and rabona finish from twenty odd yards in a warm up last year?).

Mustafi, you see, is more of your modern-day cerebral defender. The monolithic sentry-type of defender still exists, and the best partnerships are often a mix of the two, but Mustafi isn't a tackle merchant.

He is strong in the air, but what is most apparent is that there isn't a weakness in his armour. He can deal with all types of threat, from the speedster on his shoulder to the target man with the flailing elbows. Physical battles, a flat dash to a loose ball, all of these situations Mustafi can and has dealt with sufficiently.

He is the perfect successor to the ageing Mertesacker. Our very own BFG still has much to offer, but his heir apparent is in the same mould as his fellow German. Both have excellent positioning and can quell threats with a simple movement, rather than a madcap reactionary run. With Mustafi also possessing adequate pace, we have potentially a Mertesacker 2.0. Which should be excellent news for Koscielny, who formed the other half of one of our better partnerships in recent years - but also us fans.

With Koscielny and Mustafi in the centre of our defence, we have a bedrock to build on, and even when we have committed more men forward than we should have, with those two at the back, we will be on surer footing than in previous years.

We really can now boast of a defence worthy of a title tilt. Shkodran Mustafi is worth every penny if he can show why he was in last seasons La Liga Team of the Season as part of a struggling Valencia side.

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