| |
|
|
|
Which transfer can improve us? |
| |
Although January is still far away, lots of names are being linked to Arsenal
Although I think Arsenal's main priority this January should be to try and keep Robin van Persie with the club, some more strengthening might be needed. The summer transfer dealings have been pretty okay but they have not been capable of filling the gap that Fabregas, Nasri and Clichy left behind. Let alone improve the team to get us back to being a title challenger.
Defensive worries
My main worries are two actually. First the defence. Our defence is not consisting of particularly weak players. However, we concede lots and lots of goals and we sure can't blame Szczesny for that as he plays his heart out in every game. The only one who was pretty satisfying in every game this season until now was Sagna in my opinion. But he is injured now and won't be available for quite some time due to a fractured fibula. The only option left for right back is Carl Jenkinson. And I don't think he's ready. I personally think Squillaci is a poor excuse for a defender. I absolutely do not understand why he is still with us. He is just not good enough. And if Mertesacker and Vermaelen are injured, suspended or not available for any thinkable reason whatsoever, we only have Koscielny. Djourou is okay, but not good enough for the big games I think. We are lacking quality depth in defence. Bringing in a strong central defender and a solid wing back for the right side would limit the problems a lot.
Jan Vertonghen (Ajax)
I have been opting for this player before, but although he hasn't played at his best for Ajax this season yet, we should still take a serious look at Jan Vertonghen. Last season he was by far the best player in the Ajax team after Suarez had joined Liverpool. He was strong and reliable at the back, and came forward only at the right times. He played a vital role in Ajax' title winning side last term, and has said before that he is happy at Ajax but would not rule out a move to a big European club. We will certainly not be the only team that are keeping an eye on him, but I think he would be a great addition, both for the CB position, as well as the defensive midfielder position.
Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk)
For the right wing which I talked about earlier as well, I also have an idea of who I would like to see. Shakhtar's Darijo Srna. Srna is a right wing back who comes forward a lot. A style of play which would surely suit Arsenal. He has been at Shakhtar since the 2003/04 season and has always been performing well. He was also voted in the Champions League Team of the Year last season. Although he isn't getting younger (he is 29 years old right now) he might well fancy a move to a European top competition before he will get too old. I am just speculating this, but I think it's possible he would want that. He will not be cheap in terms of wages, but will provide great competition for Sagna at right back and also good depth for that position. And with Sagna and Srna with him, Jenkinson has two great mentors to get him ready for the day he has to step in for real.
Defence coach
Although some people do not agree on this one, I really feel Arsenal should not only add to the playing staff. In my opinion, a good defence coach is needed as well. We concede way too many goals, and when we are defending set pieces it looks like school boy football sometimes. It is just not good enough, and the only way to get this right is to train and rehearse under the guidance of a good defensive coach who knows what he's talking about.
Who's behind van Persie?
The second part that worries me is that I honestly do not see who can step up when Van Persie is injured or suspended. I mean seriously, Chamakh was awesome at Bordeaux, but he hasn't shown that much for Arsenal so far. Will he wake up and get back to scoring goals, or is he really just not good enough? And then there is Park. He seems to score with ease for South-Korea, but hasn't played a single Premier League minute until now. It is understandable with Van Persie in good shape, but is he really as good as some people think he is? I though he was largely disappointing in his Carling Cup debut for Arsenal.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04)
Schalke's Huntelaar has been linked with Arsenal in the past. He is in great form for the Dutch national team, and is doing well at Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga as well. In an earlier post on this website, Dennis Bergkamp was quoted that Arsenal miss a real out-and-out goalscorer in their team. Huntelaar surely matches that profile and would probably fancy a move to North London. With his presence there is also an adequate backup for Van Persie. Although Huntelaar is a completely different player compared to Van Persie, they both know how to do what they are meant to do: scoring goals.
Hulk (FC Porto)
Reports about Hulk have been around in the press in this week with his agent claiming Arsenal have been in contact with him about the possibility of signing the Brazilian forward. Although he would surely fit the bill with Arsenal, I think this is just speculation and will never happen. FC Porto are demanding way too much money, so he will probably end up at FC Barcelona, Real Madrid or Manchester City in the near future. Nevertheless, if Wenger does succeed in signing him, it would mean a great piece of business.
What are your thoughts on this? And please, if you reply, keep it real... |
| This article is placed in Mark His Words. Mark His Words is my personal column in which I share my views and opinions on the latest news and developments surrounding Arsenal FC. All other news items you can read on this website are based on press reports, news or rumours that I heard or read about, but this column is nothing more than my own space on the web where I can say whatever I want. Feel free to discuss my views using the comments section below but please remind that we are all free to have an opinion. If you decide to comment or start a discussion, do it with respect to other readers. |
|
| |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
RSS Feed
