Oh Arsenal, what have you become. Within the last decade, you were a world-beater, who could take on all comers and turn big teams into chumps. There was a time when the football you played was so slick that you were unbeatable.
Nowadays, however, you’re as brittle as uncooked spaghetti and you have all the backbone of… well, of cooked spaghetti.
Laboured metaphors aside, it’s clear that something has to give at Arsenal. One hopes that Arsene Wenger realises the importance of the situation that he and the club are in, but I wouldn’t count on that.
We can only hope that the board is willing to not just back the manager in the transfer market this summer, but also to make him spend it?
So where should he start? How about by turning to the best team on the planet and pinching two of their players?
According to TalkSPORT, Arsenal have opened talks with Barcelona and are looking to complete a double deal for Spanish duo, David Villa and Victor Valdes when the transfer window re-opens. The article then goes on to suggest that Arsenal are willing to spend over £22m to make this deal happen.
Now, if Wenger could make this deal happen, it would be a signal of real intent. If he could back it up with a couple more world-class signings, Arsenal could be back in business.
Many choose to bemoan Barca forward David Villa’s age, but at 31-years-old, he can still do a real job up front, especially if he’s backed up by the likes of Theo Walcott. Besides, haven’t the Gunners been on the look out for experience over the last couple of seasons? I’m pretty sure Villa, Spain’s all time top goal-scorer falls into this category and would help give Arsenal more threat upfront.
Valdes, on the other hand, has been Barca’s number one keeper for an incredibly long time. He too, is experienced, a good shot-stopper and would be considerably more commanding and confidence-inducing than the hapless Szczesny.
The young Pole needs somebody to learn from if he’s to up his game and Valdes would be as good a tutor as anybody. It would be hard to argue with this particular deal.
Arsenal have problems, but you get the feeling that deals like this, where the focus is on recruiting talented, experienced players, to fill gaps in the Gunner’s squad, could be exactly what the club needs.
What’s your take? Should Arsenal complete a double deal for Valdes and Villa?
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That’s small thinking, isn’t it? For me Arsenal should make a real statement of intent by bidding for Edinson Cavani. The Uruguayan in an absolute terror in the opposition area, and is the kind of stiker that would strike real fear in the opposition, not Villa. He may be Spain’s all-time goal scorer, but since his return from that leg break, he has been suffering from numerous injuries, which makes you think he will be another Gibbs, Diaby, etc.
We must stop buying second tier players (which Villa has become due to his age), and players like Cavani, Jovetic would serve us a world of good, not Villa. As for Szczesny, well, he’s only 22 and even at that young age for a keeper, he has shown the kind of quality that make him fit to play for us, not sitting on the bench. Second, Valdes is, bar experience, not better than the young Pole. Szczesny has only lacked a bit of motivation, just like the majority of our players, but he remains a top notch goalie.
Goalkeeping is a very tricky position, meaning, when the manager picks his first choice, that’s it. Remember Shay Given/Joe Hart situation at City? This means should Valdes come in, that would mark the end of Szczesny at Arsenal.
For me We need to address more urgent issues like getting a strike of real quality, preferably Cavani, and Etienne Capoue to anchor the defense, as well as natural left winger so as to enable Podolski to play in a more central position where he would score more, a center back to provide more cover at the back, and Younes Belhanda to give the team more variety in the attacking sense.
^agreed, and maybe a CDM like M’Vila