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So it is that time of the year again, with all the big names buzzing around the market. News is being created everyday with possible transfer talks and amidst all speculations, the usual big clubs are there, calling bids worth astronomical figures to capture players; however, the one team which is creating quite a stir is the most silent sitters of all time- Arsenal. It is quite amazing to see this team being associated with deals worth millions, and Monsieur Wenger not really denying any of those link ups.
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So, who do we see on the Arsenal’s radar? Higuain, Rooney, Fellaini, Remy, Gourcouff, Benteke, Michu and many more; leaves you gasping and definitely not wanting for more. Well, the reason behind this is, we all know what transpires eventually with a host of names being linked to a single club. Unless it has a cash tank like Manchester City, PSG etc, the chances of such names being added up to the squad is minimal. Moreover, with so many targets doing the rounds, not a single one can be focused upon, thus leading to a zero value addition to the squad. When such names are rumored to join Arsenal, then you surely know something is wrong. This is Mr. Arsene Wenger, the manager of the team who creates players and does not simply buy them. So has that policy been sent for a toss with last 8 seasons without any silverware? It certainly seems so with the club agreeing to splurge the cash box and bring coveted players who could add some mettle to the existing squad.
However, the problem lies somewhere else. These players are young, and they have just blasted onto the scene. Well, with players like Rooney and Higuain, who are a bit more experienced, they’d obviously want to experiment with greater challenges waiting for them. For them the scene is right at Arsenal. With a team who has not won a single trophy for ages, the morale is sagging with every passing season. So, it is not just good football that the team needs to play but it has to think that it can play the game good enough to rise up to the challenges. That’s where the mental element comes in, it can be fished out among players like, Higuain, Rooney, or even Gourcouff to an extent. They are at the prime of their careers and they have stuck around the scene for quite some time now.
While the problem with players like Michu, Benteke etc is that they are quality players who have been shining at mediocre teams (read Aston Villa, Swansea) and thus, they have not tasted success yet. It is the applause of the football clan that has got them the recognition and led the big clubs to sit up and take notice. As it was the case last season with Giroud, who almost single-handedly led Montpellier to a French Ligue title, which in turn saw him donning the Arsenal jersey at England. It must be kept in mind that in England the standard of defending is pretty high. So the free flowing tiki-taka is not a very common sight at Barclays Premier League (BPL). As a result, the debut of Giroud was not a very exciting one. Nevertheless, he made his presence felt by scoring quite a few times. Thus, it remains to be seen what players have done for their respective clubs and can they emulate the same for the Gunners.
If the attacking duo of Rooney and Higuain do turn up at the Emirates, then the attacking lineup of Arsenal would certainly be enviable in the football world. With the likes of Podolski, Giroud, Walcott already in the team, addition of Rooney and Higuain will worry even the best defenders in the game. However, as we know sadly, in case of Arsenal, most of the time the speculations create the bigger news and not the transfers themselves. The story changed last to last season when the team was plagued with injuries and defeats and the condition was in rubble after the 8-2 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United. Damage control was sought which saw the likes of Arteta, Benayoun being bought/loaned to amend the shortcomings. Since then it seems Wenger has let go of its team building policy, and with last season transfers like Podolski, Giruod and Cazorla, all at the wrong side of their 20s, it is clear that Wenger is focusing more on trophies.
Hence, it seems a full cycle has been covered with Arsenal, with the team which was built by Wenger which reached the pinnacles of glory and then after that a sad demise that saw them fighting tooth and nail for a Champions League spot. Now, majority of the players in the team are not Arsenal products with exceptions being Walcott, Wilshere, and Chamberlain to some extent. Arsene Wenger is finally relenting to the pressure of the fans and going for established names as trophies seem hard to come by. The youth policy is off through the windows and Arsenal seems to add firepower to their lineup for their search of trophies. The cycle is vicious, as established players do not want to come to a club which has not seen silverware, and to add silverware the need is felt by Monsieur Wenger to turn to big names than school boys to yield the results. It remains to see whether any big guns will join the club this season, and with that what remains as far more intriguing is whether the Gunners can go with all guns blazing to win back the trophies which seem to have faded into the oblivion.
