Keown – Arsenal may still buy a DM as backup

Arsene Wenger has already suggested that Arsenal are unlikely to be doing any more transfer business today, but the Arsenal legend Martin Keown thinks that the Gunners could still be in the market for a defensive midfielder, but whoever comes in will have to be prepared to sit on the bench until Francis Coquelin is unavailable for whatever reason.

Keown said on the BBC Sport website: “Wenger might still feel that he needs to buy a new defensive midfielder before the window shuts on Monday.

“But, rather than filling a problem position, it would be as cover if Francis Coquelin gets injured, so he has someone else who can do his job.

“He has been at the club since 2008 but, before this season, he had made only nine Premier League starts in six years and spent the whole of the previous campaign on loan at German club Freiburg.

“Coquelin made his first Premier League start since January 2013 when he played in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over West Ham at the end of December

“His recent progress shows you why some players are worth waiting for, because I think by the age of 23, a lot of managers would probably have given up on him before now.

“Wenger, however, kept seeing something there.

“When I spoke to him recently, Wenger explained to me that, earlier in the season, every time he saw Coquelin train he told him that he should be in the first team but felt he had to go out on loan first because he needed the experience.

“Coquelin ended up being sent to Championship side Charlton in November to get some games under his belt.

“Since returning, Wenger has pretty much put him straight in his team. Coquelin has taken his chance superbly, and he fully understands his job for the team.”

Le Coq has been a revelation since his return from loan, but, unlike Keown, I am not so sure that Wenger will consider bringing in another DM today or even in the summer. Flamini played 20 minutes against Villa and is probably first choice backup right now, and Mikel Arteta could also return to the squad shortly. Arsenal could also use Ramsey as more deep-lying in an emergency and Jack Wilshere performs that role for England when he is fit enough.

Of course there is also Arsenal’s other new signing Krystian Bielik, who may only be 17 right now, but Wenger has not ruled out the possibility that he may be able to play in the first team in the near future. “I would say, considering his age, he’s more one for the future,” Wenger told Arsenal Player.

“But let’s be open minded and let him surprise us. The first signs that we see are very positive in training.

“Because they had the winter break in Poland, we are just at the starting point of building him up fitness-wise. He’s a young boy and he has a huge talent.”

So considering our new strength-in-depth, do any readers (other than Hafiz!) still think Wenger needs to bring in a new DM?

Tags Coquelin Flamini Keown

17 Comments

    1. I have read from other sources that Flamini’s contract ends 2016. I still think he will go end of the season. It would be nice to even get some money from the sale. 🙂

  1. we still need a DM…considering our poor track record of having our first and 2nd choice players getting injured

    1. Hafiz u dont need to comment on this, did u read the article, im begining to wonder if ur an arsenal fan or an abou dhabi bernabeau spend spend fan

      1. I think we should all leave hafiz alone. He’s good for the comical aspect of this site
        I get to search for his comments despite knowing he doesn’t have any new thing to say because he makes me laugh.
        I enjoy being a gunner at the moment – hafiz or no hafiz

  2. If we sign someone it will great, but even if we don’t, I won’t mind because I really trust COQUELIN and arteta is not. Bad at all

  3. Keown made a good argument for why Arsenal NEED another DM. But he offered no evidence that Wenger would actually acquire one any time soon. He is just guessing like the rest of us.

  4. I doubt it wenger will buy another dm, he will settle with le coq, and will go for schneiderlin in the summer i believe!

  5. We must purchase Morgan Scnheidirlain now for rotation and strength in debt. If we want to win the Premium League!!!!

  6. I don’t want to ruffle feathers unnecessarily, but I think we might be getting a bit carried away with Coquelin. I along with most gooners have been very pleasantly surprised with him since returning, however, I think we are so impressed with him due to the contrast with how things had been going in his absence. Arteta and Flamini were pathetic and therefore he looks better than he actually is in comparison.
    I also saw him attempt some ludicrous tackles which could easily have lead to straight reds if the luck didn’t fall his way, and in a heated london derby something like that could easily cost us the game.
    I like him, and want to keep him, but I am not sure that I would go so far as to say that he is the answer to our prayers. I would send Arteta and Flamini to a farm up state in the summer and bring in a quality DM to go along with Coquelin and Bielik.

    1. nobody is saying Le Coq is THE answer to our DM problems. He’s just the best we have now. we still need an established DM but it won’t happen today as there is none of class available now. Best to wait until the summer. In the meantime support the young lad since he’s doing the job better than anyone else.

      1. Not so sure about your “nobody” comment. Regarding making a move in the summer, I definitely do agree with that.

    2. Schneiderlin got a red card as most CMs do in there time.Ya gonna see some cards on Sat,that’s the Derby,s for you Coquelin is a better intercepter of the ball and gives straight away He is gonna be hard to replace. CB

  7. sell flamster, get a new established dm for coq to compete with and learn off of. a bit younger than mikel a ofc.

    coq needs cover and competition. and diaby maybe along with someone else will leave.
    bielek then can learn of coq one day.

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