'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It is transfer time again folks, and Arsenal, the minnows of the transfer game are trying hard to catch on to the last lap of the race.
However, as expected they are failing. To add to the miseries the failure is appalling to the eyes of any normal football fan. The youth policy of Mr. Arsene Wenger has been discarded and obliterated. This leads to the cash chest being splurged upon strikers, whosoever says a Yes, irrespective of the need of the club.
Trending
A simple football mind that has followed the games of Arsenal from last season can sense it quite unassumingly that the current need of the hour is a stocky defensive medio. The goals have been coming in with the addition of Podolski, Giroud and contribution from Walcott.
However, what has been lacking in abundance is a good holding midfielder who can fill in the shoes of Patrick Viera or to that extent Alex Song. Mikel Arteta has been forced to take up that position which is quite unlike his natural play. In spite of that he has been doing pretty well and has been sneaking in a goal or two as well. What remains is a gaping void in the play of Arsenal is a brawny midfielder who can display the role of a snatcher and make life difficult for the opposition attackers.
There were strong rumours of Alex Song making a return to his former club after failing to impress at Camp Nou. However, that would have been a dubious decision as his form had deteriorated to a large extent and it would not be advisable to spend on such a player.
That should not be disheartening to the Gunners as there are a host of other options who perfectly fit the bill. The most coveted man of the moment who was well situated on the radar of Arsenal, Marouane Fellaini, was considered till few weeks back as the possible transfer target at the Emirates. Rumours died soon and once again Arsenal fans were left with just another target and no done deal.
Wenger remains tight lipped when asked about his possible targets and what we come to know are a plethora of possible transfers and unsuccessful bids. New names that have been surfacing seem outrageous to be in sync with the demeanour of Arsenal as they include strikers on the wrong side of twenty and certainly are chased by all.
Fellaini: Will he move to the Emirates?
If you are an ardent follower of the youth policy then there is something to celebrate with the signing of Yaya Sanogo. Nevertheless being true to the squad of Arsenal, he fell to an injury even before having an outing in an Arsenal shirt. Another player who can certainly suit in the English style of play is Luiz Gustavo.
He may not be as prolific as Schweinsteiger or for that matter Javi Martinez, however his role for the German champions has been one of a kind which deserves accolades. He has been mostly used as a substitute for Bayern Munich and thus he would be an apt choice to fill in the void at the Emirates. He is young and with the likes of Schweinsteiger and Martinez ruling the roost at Bayern, he would certainly want to try his luck elsewhere. Being only 25-years old and a versatile player, he would slot perfectly in the Arsenal midfield.
Instead of focusing on the aforesaid intelligent buys, Wenger is mulling splurging cash on strikers who are not really suited to play with the Gunners style of play or even worse, have a violent streak and may injure a fellow team member (read Suarez). The team would have been built perfectly around these pivotal players and Wilshere, Arteta would have got much more freedom in their game.
Thinking of buying strikers when players like Podolski, Giroud, Walcott, and Sanogo are already there at the disposal does not seem a legitimate choice. Notwithstanding the fact that addition of someone like Rooney or Suarez will add more firepower to the forward line, however, that is not the problem which they are facing right now.
It is the midfield that crumbles when faced with power and pace. A strong gritty player is needed in the central hole of the midfield area. With the 4-4-2 days being over in today’s world football, what the system relies on is a strong holding midfielder. There are enough instances to take cue from teams who are willing to spend for good central midfielders.
Joao Moutinho or Paulinho, who have landed good deals in top rung clubs of Europe are specialists in the tricks of the trade. As a result, they will don jerseys of clubs who have completed the deals in a bustle without wasting any time on negotiating.
Hence, it is not a matter of great novelty that defending midfielders are the most sought after transfer targets and thus, it is a humble request to Monsieur Wenger not to beat around the bush and land a good holding midfielder straightaway.
