Arsenal: Maxi Rodriguez Can Be Next Season's Yossi Benayoun

When news broke on the last day in August, 2011 that Yossi Benayoun was headed for Arsenal on a season-long loan, Gunners fans were quite pleased with the bit of business.

Here was a seasoned Premier League campaigner with experience culled from years spent with Liverpool and Chelsea. Benayoun had played in all the major competitions with Liverpool—even scoring a winner at against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the 2009 Champions League—and had impressed with Chelsea before succumbing to injury early on in the 2010-11 season.

His style of play—perhaps best expressed through mazy runs in which the Israeli often looks as if he's on the verge of tottering over—did not seem easily transferable to the "Arsenal way," the philosophy of free-flowing passing and incisive movement throughout the attacking third.

But when he did get games early on this season for the Gunners, he looked comfortable enough.

He just didn't get that many games. He was a bit-part substitute for most of the season until recently, when Wenger suddenly thrust him into the starting lineup for a key away fixture against Wolves on April 11.

Benayoun, who is no stranger to scoring in tricky locales (aforementioned heroics at the Bernabeu), nabbed Arsenal's third on the night at Molineux (they ended up winning 3-0). The rest, as they might say, is history. He has started each game since.

There are any number of reasons for this. Benayoun's experience is a welcome commodity at this juncture, particularly with Arsenal keen on fending off Newcastle United and finishing in third place, thus earning the automatic qualification to the Champions League group stages that comes with it.

Wenger has seen his side come up short down the stretch in recent seasons—most notably acceding third place to Manchester City last season. Experience helps guard against that.

The French manager also appears reticent to place too much pressure on 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and has lost some faith in Gervinho, who was a starter for most of the first part of the season.

Thus, even with his future at Arsenal up in the air—there have been murmurs that he may wish to stay on at Arsenal should Wenger pony up the requisite transfer fee to prise him away from Chelsea—Benayoun has played a vital role for the team.

Should the Israeli return to the west end of London, however, a hole will open up at the wing. Given Benayoun's recent production, it will be difficult to fill.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has shown flashes of brilliance. He was one of the most important Gunners during January and February, but has since come back to earth. This is something wholly understandable, considering his age and the fact that it's his first season of Premier League football.

Gervinho, though 24, is still in his first season of Premier League football, and while the Ivorian has also had some excellent games, they mostly came in the first part of the season.

Since he returned from the African Cup of Nations, he's been a bit of a wraith, rarely seen in important matches. He did, however, have some positive spells early on against Stoke on Saturday.

Ryo Miyaichi, though excellent in portions of his loan deal with Bolton, appears to need some more seasoning to handle the rigors of the English game. His talent is evident—his physique is not. The Japanese 19-year-old has also faltered of late, after starting off his loan with a bang. (He was named Bolton Player of the Month for February.)

Little is known as to whether Andrei Arshavin will come back next season from his current loan deal with Zenit St. Petersburg, but given his indifferent form for nearly two seasons now, he can hardly be counted upon to play a significant role.

That leaves a gaping hole in the depth chart on the wing—a position of some significance for Arsenal.

The two wide men are often tasked with creating opportunities for front man Robin van Persie, and they are expected to combine with the fullbacks and central midfield triumvirate, who have a penchant for getting forward in attack as well.

When it works well, the 4-2-3-1 looks seamless. Good players help fire those cylinders.

Thus, should Benayoun leave, Arsenal could well find themselves in trouble should Walcott or Gervinho get injured. (Walcott is hardly an iron man in that department, as only his most recent hamstring problem attests.)

Enter Maxi Rodriguez. The former Atletico Madrid winger, currently with Liverpool, is perhaps best known for this wonder goal scored while with Argentina during the 2006 World Cup.

He has become a bit-part player under Kenny Dalglish, and despite frequently saying he is happy in Liverpool and willing to work for his playing time, the situation must rankle him—it would any professional player.

The most recent news coming out on Monday had Rodriguez voicing his uncertainty as to whether he will in fact be a Liverpool player next season.

"I don't know if I will stay for next season, that's the truth," Rodriguez told the International Business Times. "I will decide at the end of the season. All the people [in Liverpool] have treated me well, but I want more minutes."

Should he want a change of scenery, Arsenal might well be a good fit. The news that Lukasz Podolski has signed on for next season clutters up potential playing time, but it remains to be seen how the German will be used.

Wenger classifies Podolski as a striker, and though he usually plays out on the left for Germany, he is best when used centrally where his powerful shot and deceptive guile are frequently put to good use.

That means that, should Maxi Rodriguez wish to join Arsenal, he could find some playing time, a la Yossi, on the wing as Wenger looks to bring along Oxlade-Chamberlain and Miyaichi at a manageable pace. They are the future, but that future is not now.

Rodriguez nabbed a brace during a recent (and rare) start against Blackburn. He is a true professional, and would not be undaunted by some time spent on the bench. But that type of quick-fire production would be a welcome commodity at Arsenal.

A season-long loan deal might be a good option at this point (with an eye toward the two youngsters' continued development), in lieu of a full transfer.

After all, the former has worked quite well this season.