DONE DEAL – £80,000-A-Week Spaniard Signs For Arsenal

Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta finds himself in a peculiar position of being club captain without being a regular fixture in the first team. Having missed most of the last campaign through injury , Arteta lost his first team place to the emergence of the partnership of Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin last season. With the club being spoilt for riches in the central midfield positions , it was widely believed that the experienced Spaniard would be shown the exit door this summer, especially with reports linking the club to players like William Carvalho and Arturo Vidal.

However, the Daily Star has reported that the Spaniard has signed a 1 year extension with the Gunners. The news will come as a bit of surprise for legions of faithful goobers who were expecting Arteta’s and Flamini’s exit in the coming weeks. The outlet also reports that while the latter is on his way out of the club, Wenger wants his captain at the club so that he has an experienced head amongst an immensely talented yet highly inexperienced squad.

This news has prompted doubts and worries in supporters’ minds regarding the arrival of a much needed defensive midfielder. Wenger has notoriously refused to sign one in the past and many fans are fearing that having secured Arteta’s stay for another year, he might do the same again. The emergence of Francis Coquelin in the second half of last season coincided with Arsenal’s surge up the Premier League table. However, the youngster is not yet at a level where he can rub shoulders with the best in Europe and Arsenal definitely need an upgrade in order to challenge at the top level.

Having seen first hand what a competent defensive midfielder can do , Wenger will  be wrong should he choose to pass up the opportunity of signing a quality upgrade on Coquelin just because he has Arteta back and fit. The Spaniard has never been a highly mobile payer in his career and is easily bypassed by quick runners. He undoubtedly has a great touch and a diverse passing range , but is definitely not the defensive midfielder that the Arsenal fans have been craving for years.

This season might be Wenger’s penultimate one at the club and the Frenchman looks desperate to go out with a bang. Till now , he has left no stone unturned in his pursuit of quality this summer and has displayed ruthlessness in discarding players of the ilk of Diaby who contribute too little. This certainly is an opportunity for a tilt at the Premier League title and Wenger would be making a grave mistake by settling for mediocrity now.