The big news concerning Arsenal over the last week (off the pitch, at least) is that the club managed to pull off a new deal with their current sponsors, Emirates, worth £150m to the club. As chief executive Ivan Gazidis noted: “This will be one of the biggest deals ever struck in the game of football”.
The way the deal works out, Arsenal will receive £30m a season for shirt and stadium sponsorship. Naturally, fans will hope that this money will be put aside for Arsene Wenger to use during the transfer window.
The Frenchman has a notoriously bad reputation when it comes to loosening the purse strings. He’s had to manage Arsenal’s finances extremely carefully and look for bargains when he should have been snapping up some real talent and using these players to challenge for trophies. So are these days over? Can Arsene Wenger finally start splashing the cash?
According to the BBC, Arsenal will have £40m to spend this January and a further £30m, will arrive in time for the summer transfer window. That’s £70m over two transfer windows – a sum that Wenger has never come close to reaching before.
All of a sudden, those rumours concerning Edinson Cavani don’t look quite so ridiculous (source: The Express).
But how should Arsene Wenger spend this cash? Should he go out and bring in a marquee signing like Cavani?
Even for rich clubs like Chelsea, signing an expensive striker is a big risk. It brings a certain level of expectation (that players like Torres have struggled to reach). I hope Arsene doesn’t spend all his money on one player, because if the gamble doesn’t come off, it will cost a club like Arsenal way more than the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, who have an endless supply of cash.
As such, I can’t help but hope that Arsene finalizes a deal for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, one of the most consistent strikers in world football. I’m sure Schalke would be willing to sell, as he is quickly approaching the end of his contract. (Source: Daily Mail).
Arsenal should now also have the money to invest in a world-class goalkeeper (Pepe Reina?) and a new left back (Andre Santos should be shipped off in my opinion).
What it should mean, more than anything else, is an end to the reliance on youth. Sure, I hope that Arsene continues to buy world-class youngsters, like Cesc Fabregas. But for the first time in years, the Gunners no longer have to rely on players like this.
What’s your take? Who should Arsenal spend this cash on?
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Huntelaar and m’vila would be a really good signings in my opinion, i think huntelaar is a better CF than giroud (i dont rate giroud anyway) and m’vila would give strength to the midfield and protection to the defence, something arteta and wilshere dont do
Imagine this team
Szczesny
Sagna koscielny vermaelen gibbs
M’vila wilshere
Cazorla
Walcott huntelaar chamberlain
Subs
Mannone mertesacker diaby arteta rosicky podolski giroud
I would say Klas Huntelaar who is 6M and would love to come to Arsenal, Karim Benzima, Maroun Falleni and Adel Taraab this Players cost less than 70Million and put Arsenal on the top leagues from F.A Cup, premier league, Capital one Cup all the way to the Champions League. Arsenal has a great Midfileders, and Defenders, but weak in the front…
arsenal should sign falcao for tropies rather than signing a cheap stinker which may lead to the same problem
I think if you examine our squad carefully, the first eleven is top class, but below that in key areas we come up short. The injuries to Gibbs and Diaby have been immense. Gibbs because he helps create a better balance. Diaby because of strength to defend well, and move the ball forwards. Wilshere has filled that gap, but his understandable absence was there for all to see against Villa? He was rested to prevent a longer absence. We have yet to see an injury to either Cazorla or Arteta, but one is enevitable given the amount of games they are asked to play?
It seems madness to me to sell Arshavin cheaply, as he will need to be replaced because he is an ideal sub for Cazorla. Moreover, if he got more gametime would be happy to stay as his family are settled in London?
Therefore a DM has to be top of the ‘wish list’ for me. Cover for Arteta when others are fit, but alongside when they are not. He would not be short of game time! He would also be someone be someone Frompong could learn from?
Next would be a versatile winger, with pace, to cover/replace Walcott. The Ox is going to come under the same pressure that others have had in the expectation level being higher than their experience can give. Eisfeld may be another to fall into that trap shortly, along with Gnabry. I hope Walcott stays because he has been there done that bit. Now we might get to see the best of him? He is still likely to get a knock or two given his pace, so cover is essential.
Then the LB position. Here we just need solid cover because I believe a fit Gibbs is as good as they come. Luckily for him, in a perverse way, he does not seem to suffer repeat injuries, just different ones? So it is just possible he may get a clear run. Of the youngsters, only Miquel could step in if Vermaelin was unavailable, otherwise look around the market to see who is out of contract?
Only then do you look at strikers. Personally, I think Giroud will come good with consistent service. But, Huntelaar is one, and would like to come, if only to prove he is better than RVP – a bit of rivalry there? Llorente would be nice especially if he came with is ‘diddy’ team mate, but that might stretch the budget too far?
Goalkeeper? Nah! If the defence is sound Mannone would be fine.