Arsenal Set To Beat Manchester United To CB Signing
In a bid to bolster Arsenal’s defensive options in January, reports have indicated that Arsene Wenger is considering a move for Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar. So far this season, incessant injuries have side-lined several of Arsenal defenders leaving the few remaining too frail to put up an enterprising show.
Last season, Ron Vlaar was instrumental in the Birmingham based club’s performance and was even more fantastic when he featured for the Dutch national team at the recently concluded World Cup. His rock solid presence in the defence made sure that the Orange boys left the tournament with a bronze medal. Having shown great team spirit coupled with his vast experience spanning 10 years, Arsene Wenger believes that with Vlaar he could fill the void which Thomas Vermaleen’s absence has created after the defender switched over to Barcelona. The Arsenal manager reached out to the Villa Park club towards the closing of last summer’s transfer market but due to several factors, the deal fell through. However, with the spate of events going on at the Emirates, Wenger’s interest in the Dutchman appear to have been rekindled as he is now reported to be lining up a bid to test Aston Villa’s resolve in the New Year.
Arsenal is determined to sign at least one central-defender next month with Laurent Koscielny out with an Achilles injury. Full-back Nacho Monreal has been deployed in the central-defence for some time now but with the uninspiring performance that saw the Gunners surrender their 3-goal advantage over Dutch side, Anderlecht, their defensive frailties have now been seriously bared. With a title quest in sight, it will be disastrous for a team of Arsenal’s status to let the January window slide by without hiring extra legs in the defence.
While the Villa Park owners may not be too rigid to do business, Arsenal will face stiff competition in rivals Manchester United who have also been seriously linked to the 29-years-old. It will be recalled that Vlaar featured under Louis van Gaal at the World Cup when the manager was still in charge of the Holland team and it is expected that the cordial relationship between the two will be of advantage to the Manchester giants.
As it is normal, Aston Villa will want to keep their versatile captain but considering the fact that Ron Vlaar is at the last lap of his contract, his current employers will have their last chance to get some cash on him by January or risk losing him for free next summer. It is not certain how much Aston Villa wants for Vlaar but with the interests from Arsenal and Manchester United, they may decide to spark up a bidding war. Louis van Gaal has defensive worries of his own, his team are yet to recover from the exits of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic and to make matters worse, his other defenders have also not be too lucky with injuries this term. Although Vlaar is quite older than most of the players that Manchester United have signed this summer, if he finally moves to Old Trafford, he could be a band-aid in the short term.