Is it too soon for Arsenal to declare their interest in this £13m Euro 2012 star?

It’s only natural. Have a couple of good games at a major tournament and you’ll start getting linked to all and sundry. It’s often difficult to know what to believe. Are the papers running these stories simply because they’re now dealing with recognised, enticing names, or because there’s some genuine truth to their claims?

Take for instance, The Daily Star’s claims that Arsenal are interested in signing ‘Euro 2012 sensation’ Alan Dzagoev. The Russian’s three tournament goals have seen his National side turn from rank outsiders to dark horses over the space of just two games.

Dzagoev’s CSKA Moscow contract is up at the end of Decemeber, so his club will be keen to get any money they can following his fine showing at the Euros. The Star quotes a figure of around £13m, but that seems a lot for a player who only has six months on his contract.

But there’s no doubting his ability to influence play. Last season Arsenal struggled to score goals from the centre of midfield. Sure, Mikel Arteta grabbed a few, but Alex Song focused on setting them up, whilst Aaron Ramsey demonstrated that he has no composure in front of goal.

If Dzagoev were to make a move to North London, he’d bring with him goals, goals, goals. He’s got a great long range shot, knows how to time a run into the box and is also adept at taking up the right position at the right time. His movement of the ball is great and he’s never seems to tire, unlike his International team-mate Andrey Arshavin.

It’s always risky signing a player off of the back of a couple of good performances. Ideally you’d like to see him perform consistently before any Premier League side went in for him. Of course, that’s a double edge sword – the longer you wait, the more his price-tag will rise.

It’s worth noting that his goal scoring record isn’t reflected in his form at club level. In 31 Russian League appearances last season he scored 5 goals. In the season prior he scored 6 goals in 24 appearances. Whilst this isn’t a bad return, it’s a far cry from his Euro 2012 form, or the form of players like Gylfi Sigurdsson or Shinji Kagawa who have similar price-tags.

Arsenal need a little more dynamism in the centre of midfield and it’s not clear that Dzagoev could provide the levels of creativity necessary. Whilst this is probably an area of the pitch that Arsene Wenger needs to look at, I’d argue that Dzagoev isn’t the solution.

What’s your take?

Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:

ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.