Does Arsenal need a defensive midfielder?

Getting a new defensive midfielder has been high on the agenda of Arsenal football club since the departure of Alex Song to FC Barcelona. Whether we need a new defensive midfielder or not depends on a few things: 1) what is going to be our style of play in the coming season 2) whether we trust our up-and-coming youngsters to take that place.

Mikel Arteta
Image Source- Wikimedia Commons

In the last season, we have seen Mikel Arteta play the defensive midfielder role with considerable level of effectiveness. Arteta had to be molded into playing that role as he was originally one of the offensive midfielders.  Playing Arteta alone in the defensive midfield role may not be enough in the coming season. Firstly, age is catching up with him. Secondly, he does not have the physical presence to break up plays. And we do not have enough physical presence in the middle of the park to support Arteta. If we have to play a single defensive midfielder, then we need someone who is more physical. This physical player may either be one of the central midfield players or he has to be the defensive midfielder himself. At this moment we do not have any players who can match these requirements. So, obviously we need a new recruitment at the defensive midfielder position if we are to excel in the league and at the continental stage.

Aaron Ramsey showed great promise during the end half of the previous season. I trust him to improve and he may become a part of the first team in the near future. But even if he improves, he's more likely to take the position of Arteta rather than playing as a physically imposing all around defensive midfielder. Our other players are not apt at playing the defensive midfielder position and neither have the physical presence to play such a position. As all Arsenal fans know, Abou Diaby is really not an option. He may be extremely talented and have potential, but he is so injury prone that trusting such a player could be very risky. I see no other players in our youth team or reserve team who can make the place of defensive midfielder his own, at least in the coming season. As an ambitious club, we have to venture into the transfer market and bring in someone who can actually break up plays in the middle of the park and effectively protect our defenders, as we have been lacking against physical teams and top clubs.

Marouane Fellaini
Image source- Wikimedia Commons

Many players have been suggested for the role and while many may not agree, my choice for the position is Everton's Marouane Fellaini. Fellaini is a proven Premier league midfielder and ticks all the boxes for me. He's physically imposing, tall and strong, can effectively deal with aerial threats and is also a decent passer of the ball. At set pieces, he can be a real threat for us and will surely grab a few goals. He is also versatile and can effectively play behind the striker as well as a striker if the situation demands. He has himself stated that his favored position is the defensive midfielder position and so he can play in his natural position at our club. He will flourish alongside Arteta in a defensive midfield duo and at the same time allow Arteta to be more creative and show his offensive prowess. By breaking up plays, he will allow us to effectively deal with the more physical clubs, something we have not been able to do in the recent past and have paid for it. Where more offensive strategy is required, he can play in the central midfield position as a box to box midfielder. Fellaini, in my opinion represents the most suitable signing for us in the defensive midfield position.

If we are really to improve this is season, we should get reinforcement in this position and Fellaini is available at £ 22 million which in my opinion is not too much in this inflated transfer market. I really hope that we trigger his release clause and get him as soon as possible. Sometime back, I heard that Arsenal was offering him lower wages compared to what he's getting at Everton. I cannot believe it. If it is true, it is very sad. Just pay him what he deserves and sign him up. And sure he won't be demanding more than £ 100,000 a week and this salary is very reasonable given the effect he would have on the team as a whole.

What are your opinions?

Rooney to Arsenal- Definitely not happening

One of the most important transfer rumors of this transfer season has been the prospect of signing Wayne Rooney from Manchester United. But I can guarantee you, this transfer is not going to happen. There are many reasons for this.

Wayne rooney
Image Source- WIkimedia Commons

Firstly, Rooney's wages are sky-high for a club like Arsenal. No matter how much we insist that we are now able to pay 200,000 pounds a week that is just not going to happen. The current highest earners in our club are at around £ 100,000 a week. And Rooney is not going to take a pay cut at this stage of his career. His current wages are around £ 250,000 a week. There is no way we're going to make such a long jump in terms of wages. 

Even if we are able to do so, we should never offer such high wages to Wayne Rooney. Rooney is 27 years old and although he has not been plagued by injuries, he has had his fair share of injuries. At this age, he's more likely to get injured and will take more time to heal compared to the earlier years. As such, it is a very risky business to offer such high wages. 

Moreover, we have to think if it indeed does merit such high wages. In my opinion he doesn't. Or at least we can get players at a similar level, by paying much lower wages than that. We are already signing players who can play the striker's role. So, in my opinion there is no need to pay such high wages to a player who is not going to play in his natural position.

Also, paying such high wages to a single player, while all our other players earn less than half of that is a surefire way to cause dressing room unrest and lack of unity. Arsenal has a very strict wage structure and there is no need to shatter it for the sake of a single player. I admit that there is need of restructuring the wage structure so that we can attract higher reputation players. But that has to be done gradually, like we are supposedly offering Higuain wages in the range of £ 100,000 a week. Offering Rooney such a massive wage may help us in attract paying higher reputation players but at the same time it would also mean that our existing players will be demanding higher wages. And after all, a club has to look at its finances. Maybe Arsene Wenger takes it to an extreme level but still we must target options which are within our reach. There are plenty of great players who would accept wages in the range of £ 150,000 a week.

Another reason Rooney is not going to get transferred to Arsenal is because Manchester United would not sell to a direct title rival. Rumors are that we are going to make a bid of around £ 20 million for Rooney but I highly doubt if that sum of money is going to be enough to take Rooney away from Manchester United. After all,   we sold Robin van Persie, who was 29 and with a single year left in his contract for a much higher price. If Manchester United would indeed sell, they would prefer to sell to some foreign club and there are plenty of options who are going be able to match his wages as well as his transfer fee. If he indeed leaves, his destination will either be a PSG, Monaco, Barcelona or Real Madrid.

What is special in this Arsenal Blog?

The last time my beloved Arsenal won something substantial, I was barely into my teens. Still I can remember my beloved Arsenal crushing every opponent and going a whole season unbeaten. Those were good times. After that, there has been such a long gap in which we have not won even a single trophy. All our best players have left and sadly we have not been able to fill up the vacuum created by them. During the last two or three years, we have also seen the departure of players we nurtured and helped to grow as a world-class talent. These things have been very saddening and disheartening for us Arsenal fans.

Thinkful Arsene Image Source: Wikipedia

 This year we're supposed to see a change. This year Arsene Wenger is supposedly equipped with a £ 70 million transfer kitty. As per reports, we also have the firepower in terms of wages to attract the best players. So, the question is: are we going to see a shift in the transfer strategy of our beloved club, or is it going to remain the same. Although early reports have given signs of encouragement but still nothing substantial has come to front. The only signing may have made still now is Yaya Sanogo, a relatively little-known French footballer, which is very much like the signings we are used to. Although, this people have the ability to develop into star footballers, these are still not the ready-made footballing products that would allow us or any club to actively compete for the Premier league and the UEFA champions league. This has to stop. We have to make world-class signings if we are to to compete with the very best. The transfer season is underway and the transfer window is officially open. Despite the big-name signings that we have been linked to, there has been little to suggest that we are going to get anything substantial from this transfer window. Take Gonzalo Higuain for example. Higuain has been linked to us for quite some time. He himself has stated that he is interested in Arsenal and the playing style would suit him. Even his family has confirmed that an agreement has been in place between him and the club. So why is Arsenal not ready to cough of the extra 2 or 3 millions for this player.

These are the types of question that I'm going to address in this blog. The reason you should read this blog is because it is being written by a gunners fan just like you. The voice of this blog is same as your voice. This is not a newspaper column that will give biased reports and  try to stir up new controversies. I'm going to try to share my views and what I feel should be the strategy taken by our beloved club. And most importantly, this blog needs you. This blog gives me a platform to speak my voice and it also gives you a platform to speak your voice and discuss it. So, let's begin a journey in which we discuss the potential transfer targets, strategies of a arsenal football club. And our journey begins with the transfer window, 2013/14. Let's hope for the best.