Arsenal Submit Initial Offer to Sign Bologna Left-back Aaron Hickey

According to reports in Italy, Arsenal are closing in on a move for Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey this summer. The Gunners are looking to sign a left-back who can play as a cover for Kieran Tierney. Tierney has a poor injury record which has affected his number of appearances this season too, missing out the last ten Premier League games due to a knee surgery.

Aaron Hickey has impressed spectators and scouts alike ever since he joined Bologna. Moving to Italy from Scottish side Hearts at just 17-years of age, he has already made 48 appearances in two full seasons with the Serie A outfit (stats via Transfermarkt). Understandably, the fans have started drawing comparisons between Hickey and his international teammate, Andy Robertson.

Aaron Hickey, Bologna fans, Arsenal — Image obtained via Football.London

Aaron Hickey has scored 5 goals and assisted once this season. He also has 3 international caps for Scotland where he faces tough competition from Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson himself. There is a growing concern that if Tierney is unable to shake off his injury woes, he might lose his place in the starting lineup at Arsenal and eventually for Scotland as well.

According to Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Metro), Arsenal are said to be very close to signing Aaron Hickey in the upcoming transfer window. The report also states that the North London side have already placed a bid of around £21.75 million for the defender.

Why Has Arsenal Submitted A Bid For Aaron Hickey?

The 19-year-old defender is a versatile player who plays mainly on the left-hand side but is also capable of playing on the right. He has played as a left-sided midfielder and also featured occasionally as a right-sided midfielder. The youngster is very aggressive in his style of play and is not afraid of going forward and contributing to a goal.

Hickey is said to be very aggressive while defending, as he gets into tackles and gives very little time to his opponents. However, he can be calm while playing creative passes or playing the ball into space. Moreover, he has proven his goal-scoring abilities with his sensational strike against Sassuolo which caught the goalkeeper wrong-footed.

Aaron Hickey playing for Scotland, Arsenal, Aaron Hickey — Image obtained via Arsenal Mania

Hickey has the ability to make a last-ditch tackle and then turn that defence into a counter-attack with the help of his skillset. This aggressive style of play is very similar to that of Tierney’s and the modern-day requirement of an attacking full-back has caused the rise in interest among clubs for the Scottish defender from Bologna.

Will Hickey Be A Good Signing For The Gunners?

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been concerned about Kieran Tierney’s recent injury run. The 24-year-old full-back is one of the first names on the team sheet but his lack of fitness has cost him a good amount of time on the football pitch. Although Arteta had the option of playing Nuno Tavares, the Portuguese full-back was unable to put in consistent shifts.

Signing Aaron Hickey will give Arsenal a very similar player to Tierney. This will also help Arteta in game management as he won’t have to make tweaks to his system whether it is Tierney playing or Hickey. Moreover, this will create a healthy competition between the players, leading to better performances from both the full-backs.

Arsenal’s failure to qualify for the Champions League can be reasoned out to their lack of squad depth. The elite clubs in Europe have one thing in common and that is very good in their squad.

The unbeaten run made it clear that the Gunners are capable of playing in the Champions League but will need the necessary depth to actually qualify. Hickey’s signing can be a step forward towards increasing their squad depth and he certainly has the potential to fight for a place in the playing XI at the Emirates Stadium.

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