After weeks of rumours, it seems that there’s finally some evidence that Arsenal are genuinely interested in bringing French starlet Yann M’Vila to the Emirates and what’s more, it seems that the youngster would welcome to move. Speaking to The Canal+ he certainly didn’t rule out his leaving Ligue 1 club Rennes this summer: “Inter, Arsenal, Real … I will take the fun everywhere!”
The quotes that follow seem to suggest he’d favour a move to Arsenal: “These are great clubs. If the coach calls you and tells you he wants you to make you play, especially a French coach, it changes everything. The important thing for me is getting playing time for the France team.”
Nobody understands French talent like Arsene Wenger who also has a penchant for developing young talent. Why would he move to a club like Real Madrid, who probably wouldn’t give him a fair amount of game time and would thus threaten his chances of nailing down a place in the French first team, when he could move to the Gunners and take his career up a notch?
His club Rennes are resigned to losing him this summer (choice quote from manager Frederic Antonetti: “Yann M’Vila won’t be a Rennes player next season”) so if Arsenal really want him, he’s there for the taking. Given that Jamie Sanderson of Young Guns Blog reported that Arsenal scouts recently watched M’Vila play against Lyon (where he put in an impressive performance) it seems as though the interest is genuine.
It’s likely that Arsenal would have to break their transfer record to sign him, so it’s worth asking the question: do the Gunners need him?
He can certainly add something to this Arsenal side. He has a unique blend of craft and strength that has helped him stand out at both club and International level (he has 18 French caps despite his young age). He’s athletic, tough and impossible to bully. I’d associate him with the likes of Nigel de Jong and Yaya Toure for his ability to provide a team with a defensive backbone without compromising their offensive capacity.
Whilst Alex Song makes for a competent defensive midfielder, he has a knack for getting forward and doesn’t always provide the cover that Arsenal’s back four desperately need. M’Vila would provide a more robust defensive wall and should stop the Gunners leaking goals.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that Alex Song could well be off to the African Cup of Nations next season and that the likes of Emmanuel Frimpong and Francis Coquelin are still relatively inexperienced.
So Arsenal signing M’Vila is beginning not only to look more likely, but also more essential. What’s your take?
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