Arsenal have had a mixed bag of a season (where they’ve shut-out big clubs like Manchester City and got trounced by average sides like Monaco), but there’s one player who’s impressed on almost every level: Santi Cazorla.
The Spaniard’s now 30-years-old, but he’s somehow enjoying the best form of his career. When he’s really on song, it’s an absolutely joy to watch him play. On his best days, he’s light-years ahead of the rest of Arsenal’s team and that includes footballers like Mesut Ozil.
Part of his power comes from his ability using both feet. He’s able to change direction so quickly that he often leaves defenders completely bamboozled. Once he’s turned out of trouble, he always looks forward, trying to pick out a killer pass.
He’s also pretty good when he’s running with the ball, as he’s deceptively quick and he’s more than capable of subtly manipulating the ball to evade a challenge or win a free kick.
With all this in mind, I’ve been hugely disappointed with all the rumours linking Santi Cazorla with a move back to La Liga. The Mirror recently published an article claiming that Atletico Madrid are now ‘confident’ of luring him ‘back home’. Uh oh.
Fortunately, it looks like Arsenal have already lined up an exciting replacement. The aforementioned source claims that The Gunners are now on the trail of Hoffenheim’s star midfielder, Roberto Firmino.
First things first, Firmino is a lot younger than Santi Cazorla. He’s just 23-years-old, so his entire career is still stretching out in front of him. The Brazilian also happens to be a natural goal-scorer. In 140 games for Hoffenheim, he’s found the back of the net 47 times. Last season he scored 22 goals in 37 games.
Whilst Santi’s goals tend to come from the penalty spot, most of Firmino’s come from open play. That’s got to be exciting to a manager like Arsene Wenger.
With the Mirror claiming that he could be available for £20m, this strikes me as something of a no brainer. If Santi Cazorla has to go, then Firmino looks like the ideal replacement.
What’s your take? Could Arsenal adjust to life without Santi Cazorla? Would you like to see Roberto Firmino at The Emirates?
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