The 31-year-old's departure was a blow but the
Newcastle star's experience, defensive qualities, aerial ability and
winning mentality mark him out as a worthy successor
By Liam Twomey
In previous years, the departure of a club stalwart might have sparked talk of crisis at Arsenal. But Arsene Wenger has acted quickly in the wake of Bacary Sagna's defection to Manchester City, with Newcastle right-back Mathieu Debuchy unveiled as the club's latest signing on Thursday in a deal believed to have cost around €10 million.
Setback though it was, the protracted nature of Sagna's departure from the Emirates Stadium afforded Wenger ample time to plan for a future without him. Sebastian Jung of Eintracht Frankfurt became a target as far back as January, while talks with Toulouse over Serge Aurier reached a very advanced stage.
But as Debuchy prepares to link up with his new Arsenal team-mates, Wenger can be confident that he has secured a very proficient footballer and proven Premier League performer who is capable of filling the void left by Sagna immediately.
At 28 it is hard to present the former Lille man as a long-term replacement, even if he is three years younger than Sagna, but if Wenger still harbours genuine hope that Carl Jenkinson can one day be that man – and, given the Arsenal manager's traditionally unshakable faith in his youngsters, it would be no surprise – then Debuchy's age and experience will be seen as a positive rather than a problem.
One suspects that for a club and a manager under increasing pressure to win now, Debuchy's track record in the Premier League played a key role in him rising to the top of Wenger's wishlist. For 18 months in England, the 28-year-old sparkled more frequently and brightly than most in a talented and temperamental Newcastle team fatally undermined by a maddeningly unambitious owner.
Debuchy made 3.3 successful tackles per match last season, a figure only bettered among right-backs in the Premier League by Jon Flanagan, Pablo Zabaleta and Cesar Azpilicueta (who played most of the campaign on the left). He also made 2.4 interceptions per game, a number that puts him above anyone else in the Newcastle squad and 14th in the entire division.
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