In years to come, Arsenal’s 3-3 draw with Anderlecht will probably be highlighted as a low-point in Arsene Wenger’s long and prodiguous career. It rates up there with Arsenal’s 4-4 draw with Newcastle some years back, or their 8-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester United. It’s hugely embarrassing to say the least.
It’s the kind of result that can turn a dressing room inside out. You can bet that there were a few fingers pointed and barbed comments after the final whistle.
When Alexis Sanchez is the hardest working defensive-minded player in your squad, you know you’re in trouble. Arsenal are missing Laurent Koscielny in a major way. More than that, however, they’re lacking in quality and depth. Arsene Wenger left his defense seriously under-cooked when the summer transfer window slammed shut.
He needs to put his hands up, admit he was wrong and then rectify the situation in the January transfer window. The sooner he can bring in new options the better. Arsenal’s back four needs competition, otherwise complacency will creep in again and again.
The Gunners have been linked to West Ham star Winston Reid for quite some time. The 26-year-old is a top quality centre-back, who’s physically tough, athletic and smart. He’s good in the air and he’s positions himself well to prevent dangerous situations from playing out. Better still, he’s got bag-loads of Premier League experience. As January transfers go, this looks like it could be quite a good one.
Unfortunately, The Metro recently published an article suggesting that Reid could be on the verge of agreeing a new deal with his current pay-masters. This will ensure that he earns a ‘bumper pay rise’ and could well force Arsenal out of contention.
As such, The Gunners need to come clean about their interest in the player. If they’re genuinely interested in signing him during the January transfer window, they should open up negotiations with West Ham as soon as possible. If Reid is alerted to Arsenal’s interest, his decision to sign a new deal at Upton Park could be affected.
It’s not like there are a wealth of high quality defenders out there. If Arsene Wenger sees one that he likes, he needs to go the extra mile in order to sign him.
What’s your take? Could The Gunners still wrap up a deal for Winston Reid?
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