Arsenal defeated Liverpool 3-1 at home to show that they are still legitimate Premier League title contenders. Only a slip in performance in the 45th minute derailed the team’s otherwise flawless effort.
Two players stood out, especially in the first half: Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White, despite the team’s general success. But there are legitimate concerns because of Zinchenko’s slight injury and the absence of Takehiro Tomyasu and Jurrien Timber, which leaves a hole at right-back.
Mikel Arteta may find a more affordable option by pushing one of Hale End’s bright young players—more especially, someone compared to Reece James—in the midst of recent connections to Jeremie Frimpong, who is viewed as a potential solution to the right-back depth issue.
Arsenal is after Jeremie Frimpong
The dearth of spending in the most recent transfer window suggests that such an investment may be considered significant, even though Arsenal is pursuing Frimpong with a reputed £34 million release clause that activates in the summer. In this case, going internal could save money for more urgent needs, like a clinical forward, especially when Brooke Norton-Cuffy is already waiting in the wings.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy has had a solid career thus far
Considered one of Hale End’s most promising prospects, Norton-Cuffy is a marauding right back with loads of pace and outstanding technical skill’. He has a lot of senior football experience, unlike many players from the academy, having spent time on loan at Millwall, Lincoln City, Rotherham United, and Coventry City.
Brooke Norton Cuffy vs Birmigham(H) @brookenc2 pic.twitter.com/wrZoY9VJkH
— CK (@CKftbl) August 28, 2022
His 27 appearances, along with his two goals and two assists for Millwall in the Championship this season, demonstrate his significance at these clubs. Even Ben Mattinson, a data analyst, compared Norton-Cuffy to Arsenal’s “own Reece James.”
While Norton-Cuffy’s offensive production is lower than Frimpong’s, his defensive qualities are superior.
Given anticipated future financial restraints and the current need for a striker, promoting Norton-Cuffy this season rather than signing Frimpong appears to be a more rational move. If Mattinson’s analogy is accurate, Arteta will have a strong assortment of full-back choices in the future.
