Have Arsenal missed a trick on Wanyama?
News has been breaking in the past few days about the developments surrounding Southampton star Victor Wanyama’s potential move away from the South Coast of England this summer. Arsenal had supposedly held an interest in the midfielder in the past and could have even been a possible destination for the Kenyan a few seasons back. This was before Coquelin’s return to the club, but now the player is looking likely to sign for Spurs, so did Arsenal miss a trick by not signing Wanyama?
Victor Wanyama has previously been suggested as one of the Premier League’s best central defensive midfielders in past seasons, that was until Leicester’s N’Golo Kante graced his ability on English soil last year. Wanyama’s performances over the years for both Celtic and Southampton have made him a constant transfer target for clubs and in the media he is always surrounded by speculation about his future. Arsenal were rumoured to be interested in him whilst still at Celtic, and then again the season after he moved to Southampton. It now looks likely that he will be heading to North London this summer, but not with Arsenal. Instead those from down the lane at Tottenham Hotspur have supposedly struck a deal with the Saints, in a transfer rumoured to cost £11 million.
I personally would’ve loved to have had Victor Wanyama at Arsenal, but only a few seasons back. A few years ago we were struggling in midfield and desperately needed to add some steel, strength and aggression to our game. However we now have Coquelin back at the club who has proven he can protect the back line just as well as Wanyama, if not better. Coquelin has been called ‘the policeman’ in the past because of the job that he does, and I think that he stabilises our midfield like no other player that we have managed to find since the days of Gilberto and Vieria. Arsenal have also recent acquired Granit Xhaka, who is also not afraid to put in a tough tackle, as well as start the play from midfield.
With this in mind I’m not too disappointed to miss out on Wanyama now, despite him being a constant transfer talking point for the Arsenal fans in the past. Would you have liked to see Wanyama in an Arsenal shirt this summer instead of allowing him to head down to Spurs? Should Wenger have made an approach?
By AH