In recent weeks, a number of media outlets have linked Arsenal with Napoli and Algeria left back Faouzi Ghoulam, the news is receiving mixed reviews from Gunners’ fans as many people do not know who he is.
There is no doubt that he is nearly as good as Nacho Monreal and he has the potential to only grow further as a player as he is only 24-years-old and was held back by Rafa Benitez in terms of his overall development.
His background isn’t that spectacular or impressive, the full back was born in France to Algerian parents and unlike so many other French natives he decided to play for Algeria as he felt a strong loyalty to his parents’ birth nation. He impressed from an early age alongside his brother who was a cross country runner, Faouzi impressed scouts so much that he was drafted into the St. Etienne academy at the age of just seven and he remained in the academy until 2010. He finally got his break into the first team courtesy of young tactician Christophe Gaultier who is regarded as one of the best coaches in European football. The 6’2 Algerian was praised for his attacking play as well as slotting in to an already organised defensive unit that contained the likes of Carlos Bocanegra and Mustapha Sall.
Rafa Benitez can certainly spot talent, he brought the Algerian to Napoli in the winter of 2014 and became an immediate starter for the Italian club, helping them end that particular season in impressive fashion as they finished in 3rd place. In the past season he played 21 games in the league for Napoli and bagged himself two assists despite the club’s struggles, most notably in the latter part of the season. Despite this, statistics suggest Ghoulam played extremely well, but having watched him, the Algerian was not at fault for Napoli’s lacklustre defence last season.
Ghoulam’s major strength is going forward; he is a pacey player who can not only cross, but also play through balls as shown by making one key pass per game last year. He likes to overlap but doesn’t just pump the ball into the box, he is an intelligent player who often makes the right decisions and this is something that will fit perfectly in Arsenal’s patient system. The Algerian held a contrast with Napoli’s old wing backs such as Christian Maggio as they were pacey players who were told to get forward whenever possible in Walter Mazzarri’s 3-5-2 system, he is a much more stable player in the final third.
Despite being a tall player he is also very quick and this means he can constantly overlap past a winger that likes to tuck in, he could form a terrific partnership with Alexis Sanchez on that left side. He possesses bags of energy and is most definitely an improvement on Monreal even with the Spaniards revival in the 2014-2015 season. He formed a very dynamic partnership with Dries Mertens who was used a super sub by Rafa Benitez and this was when Ghoulam thrived in Napoli. Three of his five assists in all competitions for the Naples club came when paired up with Mertens, he thrives alongside a tricky winger who cuts inside and creates space and Sanchez fits that bill.
Defensively, the Algerian is more modern in the sense that he uses his positional sense to get out of trouble as opposed to strength. Ghoulam is not a tough tackler and he isn’t one to try and bully a winger out of a game, he instead stays close to his centre back, something Kieran Gibbs is well known for, but can also step out of the defensive line to make interceptions at good times. He reads the game really well and if beaten by a lofted pass, he has the recovery pace to get back in position quickly which will help protect the slower players in the Arsenal team, i.e. Per Mertesacker.
The Algerian is an improvement on Monreal. The former Malaga man has experienced a revival in form and has developed into one of the most reliable left backs in Europe, but Ghoulam is already as good as him and he has the potential to improve his game much further. Ghoulam needs to be better at marking from set pieces, with this being a particular weak area of his showcased during his time at Napoli.
He is a strong defender in general and rarely makes errors in addition to being a reliable and valuable option in the final third of the pitch, with Jordan Amavi set for a move to Aston Villa, a move for Ghoulam is what Arsene Wenger should consider.
