According to Kick Off, Arsenal boss Unai Emery is hoping to lure Atletico Madrid full-back Filipe Luis to the Emirates Stadium in January.

What’s the story? 

Luis’ contract with the Spanish capital club expires at the end of this season, meaning that the Brazil international may be available for a cut price in the winter window. 

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The 6ft tall Atleti man has previous Premier League experience having spent a single campaign with Chelsea. He won a league title in his time at Stamford Bridge but generally failed to usurp Cesar Azpilicueta in the starting line up and subsequently returned to La Liga. The 33-year-old may well feel he has unfinished business in the English top flight though.

With Nacho Monreal ageing and the currently-injured Sead Kolasinac having struggled to make an impact for the Gunners so far, a new left-back may well be high on Emery’s shopping list. A move for Luis though would be a mistake and represent a backwards step for Arsenal.

Not the solution

Sven Mislintat made some baffling transfer decisions this summer, and at 33 years of age, and following an injury ravaged previous season, Luis would be another one of those. If he were to join the Gunners now, and take Kolasinac’s place as second choice left-back, that would mean that three of Arsenal’s four main full-back options would be aged 32 or above.

For a side looking to implement a high-pressing style and make use of attack-minded overlapping full-backs, employing so many such veterans in these key positions is not the way forward. 

Arsenal undoubtedly need to improve defensively and adding experience at the back could certainly help in that regard. That must be balanced with signing players who have plenty to give and are athletically up to the standard of the Premier League too though. Signing Luis would be the opposite of that, and would not make Emery’s big job at the Emirates any easier in the long run.