We are fast approaching the summer transfer window and Arsenal continue to be linked with a number of transfers as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad. It is currently unclear whether or not the Gunners will be playing in next season's UEFA Champions League but they do currently sit fourth in the Premier League standings, two points above Tottenham Hotspur - who they will play in a highly-anticipated north London derby next month.
In recent days, it has been claimed by Italian outlets CalcioStyle and Messaggero Veneto that Arsenal are interested in Udinese right-back Nahuel Molina, with Spanish centre-half, Pablo Mari, who is currently on loan at the Serie A side, potentially making his move a permanent one. But who is Molina?
Who is Molina?
Aged 24, Molina is a talented defender born in Embalse, Argentina. He is a versatile player, currently plying his trade with Udinese, typically operating as a right-wing-back in a back five system.
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However, he has also played as a more orthodox right-back in a back four, as well as a left-wing-back on occasion. Molina joined the Serie A outfit from Boca Juniors in the summer of 2020 and has since made 63 appearances for Gabriele Cioffi's side.
He has also established himself for his national team and has currently registered 15 caps for the Argentine first team having made his debut last year.
What would he bring to Arsenal?
Japanese international Takehiro Tomiyasu arrived at the Emirates Stadium back in August, completing a deadline day move from Bologna and despite recent injury problems, the 23-year-old has enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in north London, displaying his rare blend of progressive passing, intelligent reading of the game and physical prowess. However, one criticism that could potentially be levelled at Tomiyasu is his lack of cutting edge in the final third - something that couldn't be said for Molina.
Whilst the Argentine doesn't possess a similar level of defensive excellence, he does offer a lot to his side in an attacking sense. In fact, Molina has scored six goals and provided a further four assists in the league this term, as per Transfermarkt, the kind of attacking output you would associate with the likes of Chelsea's Reece James or Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold. The talented wingback has also produced some impressive numbers creatively this season, registering 0.1 xA (expected assists) per 90 minutes, 1.16 key passes per 90 and 3.82 progressive passes per 90, with the aforementioned Tomiyasu scoring 0.04, 0.71 and 2.97 in those respective categories.
This is by no means a knock on the Japanese star but it certainly highlights that having an attacking-oriented right-back can provide Arteta with a different option in defence, one that may be useful when trying to break down a deep block, or even if the Spaniard decides to utilise a back five. Molina is far from perfect and his lack of defensive output (1.34 tackles and 1.51 interceptions per game) is certainly a worry.
Still, Portuguese fullback Cedric Soares is clearly not a Champions League level defender and at 30-year-old is unlikely to get any better, meaning a summer move for the Argentine international makes a lot of sense for Arsenal - who have a knack of signing young players with high potential. Recent reports have suggested that it would take around £25million to prize him away from Udinese this summer.
What has been said
Molina recently conducted an interview where he spoke about fullbacks that he admirers and bases his play-style on, admitting that Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold is one of his idols. Speaking to Tuttosport, via GetItalianFootballNews, he said: "My favourites are Alexander-Arnold, Reece James of Chelsea and the Man City duo of Cancelo and Walker.”
The 24-year-old has also garnered interest from Serie A giants Juventus but he claimed he won't think about any potential transfer until the end of the current campaign. He added: “In the last two years, everything has been going so fast that I still can’t realise it.
“The interest of Juventus and the big clubs is pleasing, but now I won’t think about it. I am focused on all the points that we still have to win against Udinese.”
