Arsenal have struggled to find a viable solution to replace Vermaelen. Despite the fact that Arsenal’s former captain was mostly a substitute during the past season he was still ready to replace either of the Gunners’ current central defenders. After the Belgian international left Wenger did not find solutions to fill in the gaps. With both Mertesacker and Koscielny having to step back weeks at a time in order to recover, players like Monreal had to deal with the pressure of playing out of position in the centre of defense Unfortunately being reassigned to take on the duties of a central defender did not go that well for the defenders Wenger had at this disposal.

Lucky for Arsenal that nothing happened to any of the other key defenders at once. It is a miracle how they managed to stay safe. It would have been a disaster for Wenger if the two center backs were unavailable. According to SkySports, the situation at the Emirates has gotten former players worried and confused. Charlie Nicholas is the latest former Gunner to express his mixed feelings regarding the situation at the club. He insisted that Wenger could have done a lot better this summer and should have signed at least two defenders. Worst case scenario, the Frenchman could have decided earlier to sell Vermaelen instead of hoping he would stay in London. The indecision may well have cost the club a lot of points that now could have placed them among the top three Premier League teams.