If Arsenal were ever under the impression that they would have to break the bank to bolster their squad sufficiently ahead of next season, they should think again.
With The Gunners’ leaky defence in dire need of repair, defensive reinforcements could be paramount in this transfer window as Unai Emery seeks to improve on last year’s fifth-place Premier League finish.
And what better way to do that than to enlist a centre-back who knows what it takes to win the trophies that have eluded Arsenal over the past few decades?
Gary Cahill left Chelsea after over seven years at Stamford Bridge, and with the centre-back now available as a free agent, The Gunners could do a lot worse than acquire a defender of his quality on the cheap to strengthen a backline that looked fragile throughout the previous campaign.
At 33, Cahill has no shortage of experience having won multiple league and European titles at Chelsea – and would enter an Arsenal squad currently bereft of major trophy winners, especially now former teammate Petr Cech has left the club.
Arsene Wenger previously spoke of an approach for Cahill while he was at Bolton Wanderers, and while that move never materialised, he could still be of worth to Arsenal some eight years on.
Not having to compete with Chelsea for his signature this time around, Arsenal could offer Cahill the possibility of further European glory to add to a glittering CV that welcomed a second Europa League at the expense of Arsenal just over a month ago.
And with Emery not having a great deal of cash to splash around this summer – it would almost be a no-brainer to aid the recovery of Arsenal’s defensive ills with the addition of someone of Cahill’s ilk to the squad.
With time ticking towards August’s deadline, it may be that a quick fix with this potential freebie is what is required to ensure Arsenal have enough to withstand the pressures of a season which could see north of 60 games played should their cup commitments reach similar levels to last year.
So despite a lack of game time for Cahill last term, any potential rustiness could make him unrecognisably fresh ahead of the coming season.
Meanwhile, that would surely be countered regardless by the slight inevitability that he would be called upon to shore up a defensive rearguard that could have done with his presence all those years ago, never mind today.
It may not be the marquee signing to get you off your seats, but in Cahill, Emery will surely find a player to suit Arsenal’s needs.
