The winter transfer window has been open for 6 days now and as a Gunner, the best attitude to imbibe is the expectation of the cold breeze.
History has proved that this isn’t Wenger’s favorite transfer period as he holds the belief that the best talents that can improve his squad are simply not available. This sentiment as logical as it sounds still leaves a lot to be desired.
All things considered, it is prudent not to have too many good players on the books as this may lead to stagnation of the players’ talents due to lack of game time as well as an inflated cost in management owing to the wage packages associated with transfers.
That said, one is curious if the other side of the coin is being totally ignored. This is principally the inadequate availability of freshness, energy and competition for established positions by new faces for the second half of the season.
In the recent past, players such as Nacho Monreal, Mohammed Elneny to name a few still have been brought in to compensate for injured and out of form squad members which has yielded positive results.
Furthermore, the consistency of injuries to key players in the Arsenal ranks is alarming and quite frankly, a huge contributor to our eventual position on the table by the end of May.
A player who has suffered this faith the most and by this unfortunate reality affected the team with the immensely is SANTI CARZOLA.
He is a midfield maestro who’s presence in the team provides a balance that attacks are built from and an excellent ability to get the team out of sticky situations and tight spaces with his ambidextrous dexterity and tenacity on a constant basis.
His eye for creating chances in the opposition half via instinctive yet precise passes as well as runs to drag defenders away from his team’s strikers is overwhelming.
With an ability to belt accurate long range efforts from either foot and glide through challenges and tackles to create openings for his teammates. SANTI CARZOLA is the complete package.
However, as stated earlier, his injury record leaves little to be desired. So in a month like January when the transfer window is opened, will purchasing a midfielder who possesses similar traits to fill in when Santi is injured and provide a cover when he is out of form be wisdom or luxury?
This is a question Arsene Wenger has always answered for the last 4 years with a response of “luxury” based on his body language in the market.
I beg to differ especially this season. Of all the transfer rumors that hit the tabloids this period, Dimitri Payet declared his interest in coming to the Emirates tops that bill for me.
Anyone who watches the English Premier league on a regular knows Payet needs no introduction. He might not be a Santi Carzola but he will definitely make the impact of his absence less felt in our performances.
It is important to note that with a player like Payet, free kicks which are almost always wasted would be a thing of the past has his ability over dead balls is legendary. This could be key to winning some big games and prove highly instrumental in winning titles.
So the question of the day remains, with a price tag of £30 million on Payet, do we stick or twist in the transfer market this window?
On another note, Sir Mo Farah is living every Gunner’s dream as he enjoys a training session with the Arsenal first team. As a fellow Gunner, I am quite filled with envy. Happy for him though.
……till the next thought
