Arsenal's Roma Obsession: Is Huijsen *Really* the Answer at Right-Back?

Arsenal's transfer window whispers are getting louder, and it seems the Gunners have zeroed in on a new target to bolster their backline: AS Roma's Dean Huijsen. Look, Mikel Arteta clearly wants to move on from Ben White at right-back, or at least challenge him. White’s defensive lapses have become too frequent, highlighted by that shaky performance against Brighton where Kaoru Mitoma ran wild. And after a season where Arsenal’s title challenge ultimately fizzled despite some incredible moments – remember the 3-1 win over Liverpool in February? – every position is under the microscope.

The talk coming out of the Emirates is that Arsenal are stepping up their pursuit of Huijsen, a 19-year-old center-back currently on loan at Roma from Juventus. He’s got the height, standing at 6’5”, and he’s shown flashes of real quality in Serie A. Since joining Roma in January, Huijsen has made 14 appearances across all competitions, including six starts in the league. He even bagged a goal in a 3-0 win over Frosinone back in February, a header that showed his aerial prowess. You can see why scouts would be intrigued by a young defender who’s already getting minutes in a top European league.

Thing is, Huijsen is primarily a center-back. A *really* tall center-back. Shifting him to right-back, a position he's barely played at the senior level, feels like a classic Arteta wildcard move. It reminds me a bit of the early days with White himself, who spent time at Leeds playing central defense before becoming Arsenal’s primary right-back. But White had more experience out wide. Huijsen has played almost exclusively in the middle, and asking him to immediately step into the Premier League and handle the likes of Phil Foden or Gabriel Martinelli on the wing, week in and week out, is a massive ask. Real talk: it feels like a forced fit, more about acquiring a versatile defender than truly solving the right-back dilemma with a specialist.

**The Right-Back Conundrum and the Huijsen Gamble**

Arteta’s system demands a lot from his full-backs. They need to bomb forward, create width, and then tuck inside to form a back three when defending. White, despite his flaws, has adapted to that role, even contributing two goals and four assists last season. Huijsen, for all his defensive potential, hasn't shown that attacking flair. His passing range is good, sure, but he’s not exactly known for his overlapping runs or pinpoint crosses. In his 797 minutes for Roma, he’s registered zero assists. Not a single one. That’s a stat that raises an eyebrow when you’re talking about a modern Premier League full-back.

Here’s my hot take: this pursuit of Huijsen, if it’s genuinely to replace White at right-back, is a mistake. Arsenal need a more natural fit, someone who can offer both defensive solidity and attacking impetus down the flank. A player like Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen, who notched 9 goals and 7 assists in the Bundesliga last season, would be a far more impactful signing, even if he costs more. Huijsen feels like a project, a player for the future, not the immediate answer for a team trying to win the Premier League *now*. You don't plug a square peg into a round hole when you're aiming for silverware.

And let’s not forget, Juventus still own his rights until 2028. Negotiating with them, after Roma have already had him on loan, adds another layer of complexity. If Arsenal splash £30-40 million on a player who’s never truly played right-back, they’re taking a huge risk. They finished second in the league, just two points behind Manchester City, thanks in large part to a defense that conceded a league-low 29 goals. But those goals often came from individual errors. You can't afford to introduce more uncertainty into an already high-pressure position.

My bold prediction? Huijsen ends up at Arsenal, but he’ll mostly play as a backup center-back, not the starting right-back everyone expects, and Ben White keeps his spot for another season.