Ashley Williams has been linked with several Premier League clubs this summer but Arsenal are one side who could definitely use his leadership and presence.
Williams is being linked with an £8 million move to Arsenal, with the club’s main competition likely to come from Liverpool who are looking to replace the retiring Jamie Carragher.
Experience
Ashley Williams has solid experience over the last two Premier League seasons, including this one, which means he could fit straight into the Arsenal side immediately.
He missed only one game during the 2011/2012 season and has started every single game he’s been selected for in the current campaign. That level of reliability and consistency is exactly what Arsenal should be looking for.
Noise
Williams would also make Arsenal a much noisier defence. This means he’d simply take control of basic defensive situations, barking out orders to teammates which could prevent simple goals like the ones conceded against Tottenham last weekend.
A noisy defender puts everyone on red alert which will help Arsenal mute and nullify strikers in various situations. It’s just a basic quality that he’s always used which Arsenal are missing at the moment.
Strength
He’s quite an imposing physical figure which would have a subliminal effect on the opposition before a match has even begun. He’s an authoritative defender, a bully and he’s not afraid to impose himself over the opposition.
He’s also a quicker defender than most strikers will give him credit for, which means if they underestimate him, he has the complete all round authority in his game to make the Arsenal defence comfortable for an entire match.
Organisation
One of the reasons Ashley Williams has been so effective at Swansea is because he gets their back four organised and disciplined in very basic ways, which makes them much harder to break down.
He keeps the back four in a straight line, he stops them from dropping too deep and he encourages them up the pitch when necessary. This is all basic defensive organisation but something he does with Swansea very well.
Leadership
He is a real leader as a defender and he shows the sort of entrenched determination which can rub off on other players. He not only expects the best from himself, he expects the best from his teammates and if they make mistakes, he will not hold back from criticising them to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
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