Everyone in the extended Arsenal family is looking forward to the January transfer window; some of us with eager anticipation and some with nervous trepidation. But we are all hoping that Arsene Wenger works his old magic in the transfer market and brings in a few key players that will help the Gunners finish the Premier League season strongly, enjoy an extended run in the Champions League, and retain the FA cup trophy we won last season.
And no matter how much Arsenal fans have got used to the Frenchman’s foibles in signing players and how much we appreciate and have become accustomed to Arsenal being easy on the eye and better in attack than defence, it is time for the boss to forgo his creative ideals for just one transfer window and sign players that will make us more solid and hard to beat.
Which is why I read with dismay the latest Arsenal transfer rumour reported by Metro. The paper claims that Wenger is planning a double swoop for the Roma striker Mattia Destro at around £15 million, and the Napoli attacking midfielder Marek Hamsik.
Both are good players but we simply do not need them. With Ozil about to return, Cazorla hitting top form and Rosicky, Chamberlain and Wilshere all able to fill the number 10 role, how many games would Hamsik get? The same is true of our front line, with Giroud, Alexis, Walcott, Podolski, Sanogo and Campbell all fighting for places.
This rumour may well be all hot air, but Arsenal continue to be linked with creative and forward players and if Wenger does sign someone like that, as he did with Ozil and Alexis, while ignoring the glaring weakness at the other end of the pitch, he is heading for a lot more trouble from the Arsenal fans!!