I have to confess: I was definitely on board the David Villa to Arsenal bandwagon this January. It doesn’t necessarily follow, however, that I think the Gunners should look to snap him up this summer.
It’s been clear for a long time now that Arsenal need a world-class striker to round out their squad and help give them a little more cut and thrust when moving forward. Robin Van Persie’s absence has been keenly felt throughout North London and the arrival of Olivier Giroud doesn’t seem to have off-set this as much as Arsene Wenger would have hoped.
Arsenal have been forced to spread the goals about throughout their side this season, but the fact that they’re currently languishing outside of the top four seems to suggest that a change of tact is needed.
Arsene Wenger should have signed a striker this January. The fact that he didn’t leaves him open to an unworldly barrage of criticism should his team fail to secure a top four finish.
David Villa did look to be the ideal solution. We all know exactly what he can offer a club. Pace, mobility, sublime finishing ability and a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He’s Spain’s all time top goalscorer and a genuinely gifted footballer who has been a part of two of world football’s best ever squads (the current Spanish side and Barcelona).
Unfortunately, a long-term injury last season saw him lose his place in a competitive Barcelona side and he’s struggled for game time ever since. At 31-years-old, his old bones may well be starting to creak. I wouldn’t be surprised if he began to wonder if he could keep up with the younger players at Camp Nou. It must be saddening for a player of Villa’s quality to be behind the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Pedro in the pecking order.
You get the feeling that if Arsenal had come in with a serious offer, Villa would have jumped on the opportunity. And it would have made sense. The Spaniard could have secured Arsenal a Champions League spot and helped them compete for trophies next season.
But now that the opportunities gone, I hope Arsenal move on and look at other options this summer. Villa’s age was already a concern when it came to a January deal – but add another six months to the equation and it becomes a real issue.
Arsenal need a world-class talent who can contribute to the team for the next 4-5 years. Not somebody who will be around for a season or two and then move on to his retirement club. The Sun claim he’d cost the Gunners £14m – a price that’s too steep for what he could offer in return. With that in mind, I hope Arsenal are somewhat more forward thinking this summer.
What’s your take? Would you still like to see David Villa this Summer?
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Good player in his prime, but he’s past it now. Can be use in MLS though, but certainly not at The Arsenal.
no
I think we were only being linked with him because Wenger felt that maybe Giroud wasn’t settling as well as he’s hoped, so wanted an experienced CF to show him the way and who better than Villa. However I think that after Giroud started to get a little stronger our interest in Villa started getting weaker which is why we didn’t really go for him in the end.
It would have been a nice idea which could have had long term benefits had Giroud based his game around the strikers “off the ball movement” but at the end of the day at 32 coming back from a serious knee injury it was too much of a risk- especially at 14m.
Wenger would’ve been a laughing stock had it gone pete tong, giving the fans even more reason to call him past it. At least this way we can see how Villa fairs over the rest of the season and if he looks sharp maybe launch a summer bid but if he breaks down again- at least we didn’t waste 14m on him
Don’t mind villa but not for that price,7mill tops come end of the season
Add a few more quids and Arsenal should be buying someone younger and on the up. There are many other options available, e.g. Jovetic. I am sure Arsenal scouts will be looking at the markets in Spain, France, Italy, Holland. They should also look for players in Portugal and South America.
They might even get a better player for less than the mooted price for Villa. Then again, they have players like Afobe, Wellington, and Campbell on the team who should be given opportunities now.