Arsenal don’t need a winger at all!

Arsenal have been on the lookout all summer to add to our attack on the wings and our main targets have been Mkhitaryan, Draxler and most recently Riyad Mahrez if rumours are to be believed.

Arsenal had previously lost out on Mkhitaryan to United after the Gunners were supposedly hesitant in their interest towards the former Dortmund man, whilst the Julien Draxler situation is very much developing by the day. As for Leicester City’s Mahrez however, Arsenal are now favourites to sign the PFA Player of the Year, with interest from Wenger really hotting up these last two weeks.

I think most will agree that even though a winger may not be as important as a striker in this window, if the opportunity to sign Mahrez arises, then Wenger should certainly make an approach. However in the opinion of former Arsenal defender and legend, Lauren, Arsenal don’t really need to sign the Leicester City man!

Speaking to the media Lauren said: “He is a very good player, but how many similar players in terms of technically proficient, creative midfielders and wide men do Arsenal have already?

They have Mesut Ozil, they have Jack Wilshere, they have Aaron Ramsey, they have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, they have Theo Walcott – Arsenal don’t need Mahrez. Arsenal have always had dynamic players – but they need to change that style a little bit, maybe be a little more direct, with more aggressiveness, and determination – which means players with a different style than Mahrez can offer.”
Although I agree with Lauren on the idea that Arsenal already have more than enough midfielders and widemen at the club to field a whole side from just one position across the field, what concerns me is the lack of quality in the majority of those same players.

Focusing solely on the wing, yes we have Alexis, Walcott, Ox, Campbell, Iwobi and Gnabry and that’s six players for just two positions, however how many of those are in the ‘top quality’ bracket?

After Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal dramatically fall in terms of quality on the wing. Walcott will remain at the club despite the frustrations he can cause, whilst Ox, Campbell and Iwobi all have the potential to rise to the occasion in my opinion, but only with plenty of hard work. Gnabry for me will not make it at Arsenal and I’d expect another loan move for him this year. With all this in mind, Arsenal most definitely need a player of Riyad Mahrez’s quality on the other wing, especially if we are being as ambitious as we claim to be. If Arsenal want to be strong across all four competitions this season, then we need two top quality, consistent wing men to support the attack and whilst we already have one in Alexis, we desperately need a Mahrez for the other wing.

Admittedly a winger may not be Arsenal’s main concern and priority, however if the likes of Mahrez or Draxler are available now and Arsenal have a chance of signing either one of them, then it would be silly for Wenger not to put an offer in!

By AH

24 Comments

  1. OT:

    For those of us using skybet as a clue to signing Mahrez, it’d be interesting to note

    Betting companies DO NOT ‘set’ the odds of an event happening. They merely alter the odds as bets come in by balancing the bets for the event occurring versus the bets against the event occurring. SKY bet does not have insider information that allows them to predict that an event will happen L()L.

    Betting houses need equal $ on both side of the bet because they hedge the winning side with the losing side’s money. The odds change based on how much money is getting put on a given side. If a rapid influx of money comes in – in this case a ton of money on Mahrez to Arsenal, the odds will lower to encourage people betting on other options. Betting is suspended usually when there is too much action on one side. So the house wants to cut their losses.

    So until i see Mahrez in our starting Line-up next season…. I’m Least concerned bout bet suspensions…sorry

    1. Thank You for trying to explain the relationship between betting odds vs. the likelihood of actual transfer results.

      But I fear that the reality you explain so well will not really negate the excitement, anticipation and hysteria of transfer season. The desperate transfer hopes of fans often trump the cold hard reality of “no real news to report.” So any bit of news – in this case a betting line – will often be re-written as “DONE DEAL.”

    2. Skybet bwin etc have their sources and these are very highly placed sources,and yes the odds that they offered on likely transfers are by large influenced by what they’re hearing from these sources.

    3. Hey Hey Jamaican gooner…. I’m on ur side mehn..we both want the same thing ere……. Mahrez to Arsenal

      But relying on sky bet?…. That won’t be countless heartbroken me…. Hope u knw skybet once suspended the bets on Vardy to Arsenal (Tho we actually did submit a controversial bid shortly afterwards ) the deal fell thru and Vardy’s currently a Leicester player

      don’t wanna go thru that Torture anymore bro…..hope u understand L()L

    4. Yes… But if there is a massive shift or swing in the betting that causes a dramatic shift with what you’re talking about…?
      And also, I disagree. For the massive, multi-million and in some cases billion dollar betting companies, do you not think they’d have the resources to actively pursue inside information?!?
      ‘Hmm my source says this is extremely likely to happen… We’re still paying over the odds for it not to happen as the media is yet to catch wind of it.. Maybe we’ll keep those odds until enough people have found out about it!’ – unlikely!

  2. Lauren can’t be serious…..

    We’ve had enough of incompetence on the wings….we need quality…. Someone to balance the scale with sanchez

    done with inconsistency, Ramsey experiment and overrated players using Arsenal as an MMM(money making machine)

  3. “They have Theo walcott- Arsenal don’t need Mahrez”

    .
    Really?….Lauren!

    #FestivalOfLaughter#

  4. I am amused at the psychological maneuverings of players dealing with a new manager.

    Several ManCity players have come out praising Pep’s brilliance as a manager – the latest one is Delph. Suddenly these “fringe” players have learned more from Pep than they have ever before in their careers. Amazing. The brown-nosing is so obvious as to be laughable.

    Meanwhile, in Munich, Bayern players who served under Pep are saying the opposite – that Pep talked too much about everything and he made the simple game of football far too complicated.

    Each group of players has their own motivations. But I think you are getting the far more honest assessment from the Bayern players who no longer have anything to fear or gain from Pep.

    1. and its shocking to see that despite all the New arrivals at citeh…..and the impending competition for places.. No player wants out (at least none yet)

      what magnetic force keeps em all in?

      Mehn…citeh’s ammo’s Loaded…can’t believe we are the “Arsenal”… Yet we Lacking Ammo and a serious commander

      1. Sterling – 180k/w
        Toure – 220k/w
        Nasri – 120k/w
        Delph – 90k/w
        Bony – 100k/w

        I’ve also read that a lot of the new/renegotiated contracts have utterly insane bonuses in them to get around FFP… Probs a reason why none of the fringe players are pushing for a move 😉

    2. @mohawk
      Delph is trying to stay in the line up and not get shipped out…HE sees the guys Pep is bringing in.

      1. Yeah… The fact that he’s a pretty average player on 90k probs has nothing to do with it. Actually playing the sport you’re paid for is over-rated!

        1. Delph only there to make up for the home grown quota. Pepe making huge mistakes buying foreign talent again and ignoring HGs. Only 17 players out of 25 squad can be none homegrown.

          I also expect city to sell players or loan them on deadline day. Any takers for an overweight and over ego Nasri?? China maybe….

  5. Ahmed Musa has taken to Leicester like an eel to water. Him and Vardy will be devastating next season.

  6. @Twig…….. U forgot the part where u would want em to relentlessly Let Mahrez go to Arsenal L()L

    1. Hahahaha……….Twig…….. U coulda just asked before giving me a thumbs down

      it means we don’t really care bout Vardy and musa…..but Mahrez!!

      Happy now?

  7. We have plenty of wingers and Mahrez would stop the development of Iwobi, The Jeff. Also we ship Ramsey, Wilshere to the right wing now and then. It would also create enormous pressure on the midfield. This purchase could do more harm than good.

    Our priorities are a striker and a centre back and ideally ship out Walcott (City could still take him to make up for HG numbers).

    1. This is the mindset that never gets us anywhere! We have 3-4 players in that position who between them can’t get more than 15-25 goals a season. We need a player like Mahrez who can convert runs passes and solo plays into Goals. It’s just that simple!

  8. I reckon Lauren is not just talking about the numbers and the quality. I think he means that we seem to sign similar types of players, good going forward but no height or commitment for the hard graft. We were overloaded in CM with these for a time, and people complained. I reckon Lauren didn’t want to go into detail because he’d have to rip into some Arsenal players, and being there and done it, he’s a fan and knows now would be bad timing.

    Would Mahrez be the same threat going forward when we are trying to pass two banks of defenders. At lei he had allot of space, I’d say more likely might be 10 goals and similar assists, Ramsey comes close to that, or Cazorla.

  9. Everyone just ignores the fact that whilst the Ox Is technically gifted, he hasn’t scored more than 4, yes I said 4 goals a season for Arsenal. And not to mention the inconsistent goal scoring record of Walcott and Campbell!

    We nee a front three that can bounce off each other and scores goals! Simple as! At the moment we have a whole player in Sanchez and half a player in Giroud!

    If Lacazette was our last signing if we are being honest with ourselves we would admit that still doesn’t bring us into contention to win the the league unless we played a 4,4,2. We need a player like Mahrez just as much as a striker to share the goal scoring responsibility!!!

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