Mikel Arteta's latest Arsenal transfer target points to much needed tactical switch

Having missed out on Champions League football for next season, Mikel Arteta appears to be contemplating switching system with his Arsenal team.

The Gunners have been linked with Brazilian defender Gleison Bremer this summer, and his admission of preferring to play in a back-three may have unravelled Arteta’s plans. The Torino defender said: “I prefer a three-man defence because it’s in line with the system with which I’ve consecrated myself.

"I’ve learned how to use my head on the pitch. It’s not a natural quality, you must learn it. You need to understand when it’s the right time to press and when you need to track back."

The Gunners played a back-four this season, but the arrival of Bremer, as well as William Saliba returning from his loan spell at Marseille, suggests that the North London outfit could be set to change their formation. Last year’s arrivals Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu have both thrived in a back-three previously before arriving at the Emirates Stadium, which could mean this is not a short-term plan concocted by Arteta.

Gabriel Magalhaes and White formed a strong partnership in defence for Arsenal, with Kieran Tierney and Tomiyasu making up the four. But the addition of another centre-back to the system could bring the best out of those individuals, especially with Tierney thriving when being allowed to run the channels and White suited by being able to carry the ball into midfield and fuel attacks from deep – as he did at Brighton.

Perhaps, Arteta may have realised that he is not getting the very best out of his current crop of players. With several of the key regulars showing ability elsewhere in a back-three and now that he is somewhat striker-less, the former Manchester City coach has been