Five Arsenal ‘ins and outs’ to happen this January
Although Arsene Wenger has invested well in improving the Arsenal squad in the past two seasons – over £80million spent just on Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid and Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona – an injury plagued campaign thus far has left the Gunners in need of defensive and midfield reinforcements – Nacho Monreal, our second choice left back filling in as our four choice centre back says it all.
There’s even talk today that the board will increase the £20million transfer budget first promised to Le Professeur for January. Wenger insists he will not “panic buy” during the fast-approaching January transfer window, however, I anticipate several new arrivals and even a few departures in this time.
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The 22-year-old Real Madrid play-maker has been linked with a move to the Emirates, which might see the Gunners pay around £36m for him.
Isco is predominantly known as “the new Spain talent” and is widely regarded as one of Europe’s hottest prospects. He’s proven that he can be a decisive player at his previous club Malaga; he was instrumental in leading them to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and was deadly for the Spanish U21 side that won a European championship.
Isco’s fluid, exquisite style of play would fit seamlessly into the Arsenal squad. In conjunction with his suitability for Arsenal, his game time at Real Madrid has been largely restricted thanks to the arrivals of Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez. The only thing Isco lacks, is the chance to develop his game, which should not be a problem at Arsenal, especially with Jack Wilshere’s recurring ankle injury affecting him again and Mesut Özil being sidelined until January.
Vlaar is exactly what the Gunners need defensively. The Aston Villa captain is completing the final year of his contract and there have been no talks to keep him at Villa Park. There has been excessive speculation that Vlaar might join fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal at Manchester United in the summer, however, Vlaar might opt for Arsenal who are willing to pay a more than reasonable amount of £8m for him and increase his wages to £25,000-per-week. The centre back is already equipped with the skills and experience needed to be a Premier League defender, and this is probably the primary reason for Paul Lambert’s determination to retain his captain, but I doubt Vlaar will pass up the opportunity to join one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
The 22-year-old Swiss international has made it clear that he intends on leaving Basel and playing in the Premier League. The Gunners can sign the much needed centre back if they manage to fight off Juventus in the race to sign him. He should cost around £10m, but in my opinion , he’s worth every Euro. Schar can bring physical strength to an Arsenal side with an abundance of flair , as well as relieve Nacho Monreal of his new-found defensive duties.
The German defensive midfielder has been an Arsenal target since last summer. However, the Gunners will have to act quickly if they want to acquire the services of Bender, as Spanish giants, Barcelona, have targeted him as well. It’s been rumoured that Arsenal are preparing a £19m bid for him, which has probably been generated by injuries to Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Debuchy. Bender is also a physically strong player and will be able to provide a balance between creativity and strength, which Arsenal desperately need. The acquisition of a defensive midfielder like Bender or Sami Khedira would help the Gunners gain possession quicker and win physical battles in the midfield , areas which need improvement.
Speculation that the German is on his way out if the club was further intensified when Arsene Wenger chose to start 21-year-old Yaya Sanogo instead of Podolski against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in the Champion’s League. Surprisingly, the forward has only started once for Arsenal this season, a 2-1 defeat to Southampton in the Capital One Cup. He’s been linked with moves to German side, Wolfsburg and Italian champions , Juventus. Podolski’s departure seems inevitable now.