Arsene Wenger Realising His Faults Will Seal Arsenal a Top 4 Finish

Arsene Wenger is ready to spend big where it matters this January, and it is this realisation of his faults that will seal Arsenal a top-four finish this season.

According to Paul Doyle of the Guardian's festive report, "Wenger insists he is no Scrooge and will be happy to splash the cash in January to improve Arsenal’s chances of enjoying a jolly end to the season."

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Doyle continues: "Wenger maintains that the image of him as a miser was forced upon him by the years of austerity while the club paid for the construction of the Emirates Stadium."

Wenger synthesised this by claiming: "Now I have money so [have] no problem spending it at all."

Earlier this season, following his side's 3-2 loss away to Stoke City, Wenger conceded, per the Guardian, that Arsenal "were not decisive enough in the defensive challenges."

The manager continued: "We were a bit inexperienced at the back."

What followed that tie was a flurry of verbal abuse for the manager as he and his charges boarded the train from Stoke back to north London.

While this served as a stark condemnation of modern footballing society, perhaps its dual purpose was to shock Wenger's system.

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With Laurent Koscielny an injury worry for Wenger as Arsenal line up against Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, per BBC Sport, and with Mathieu Flamini's contract set to expire at the end of the season, per Transfermarkt.co.uk, this highlights his side's two biggest issues.

Arsenal need a centre-back and a defensive midfielder, and Wenger is now serious about this.

His comments prior to the January transfer window sound as decisive as he has ever been, and this will earn Arsenal a top-four placing in the Premier League this season.

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Morgan Schneiderlin

Wenger recently opted for blind loyalty when discussing the regularly injured Abou Diaby and the possibility of a new contract for the midfielder at Arsenal.

Per the Guardian, Wenger claimed: "If he comes back, I will keep him. I always believed in him. In football, the most important thing is health."

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The salient caveat here, then, is the importance of health.

Prior to Arsenal's clash away to Liverpool on Sunday, Sky Sports have Diaby listed as suffering a calf injury.

The unlikely return of Diaby to full fitness could well herald a finely functioning Arsenal midfielder—a star turn in Arsenal's 2-0 victory away to Liverpool two seasons ago stands as proof of this—but perhaps at this juncture, Wenger may be jilted into reality.

This comes in the form of Morgan Schneiderlin: A player so often linked with a move away from Southampton, it is a surprise nothing concrete has developed yet.

According to Matt Law of The Telegraph, "Arsenal will bid for Schneiderlin if they are given any encouragement that the 25-year-old will be allowed to leave," spurning rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Diaby's countryman, Schneiderlin is a more realistic solution to Arsenal's long-felt need for a true defensive midfielder.

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Schneiderlin has made a phenomenal 3.6 tackles and 1.8 interceptions on average per Premier League game this season.

None of Arsenal's defensive midfield options have made more tackles, and only Flamini has made more interceptions on average per game, with three.

The other options for Wenger in this position arguably stand as Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere.

Schneiderlin serves as a better all-round option than this trio, particularly given his goal tally of three so far this season eclipses their combined return of one.

A side is only as good as its defensive midfielder, as Southampton and West Ham United—with ex-Arsenal man Alex Song in tow—are showing this season. Now Wenger is perhaps realising this, Arsenal can steal a march on their surprise top-four rivals.

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A Centre-Back

Doyle continues in his report that "Arsenal are known to be looking for a centre-back in January."

With this, Wenger declared that, if a suitable centre-back option was to be identified in the upcoming transfer window, a concrete offer would be made "without any doubt."

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This comes after continued struggles for fitness by Koscielny—it was the defender's absence, for example, which saw Arsenal so indecisive in their loss to Stoke.

Without Koscielny, Wenger has been forced to field natural full-backs Mathieu Debuchy and Nacho Monreal at centre-back, along with the highly inexperienced Calum Chambers, who has made four appearances in a central defensive role this season.

Last season was much the same, with Bacary Sagna fielded as a makeshift centre-back at times.

The most necessary area to resolve in order to solidify Arsenal's top-four credentials, centre-back is rightly being made a transfer priority by a lavish Wenger in January.

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Ideally for the Gunners, Borussia Dortmund man Mats Hummels would be the man to partner Per Mertesacker in the heart of defence, but Wenger may need to dig a little deeper.

As Wenger has already proven with the marquee signings of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, he is far from restrained when it comes to paying a large fee for the right player, and this can clearly continue.

This is heavily tread fare: Arsenal have long needed a centre-back and a defensive midfielder.

But with Wenger openly conceding his side's defensive frailties, and his willingness to spend in the upcoming transfer window, this could be a pivotal January for Arsenal.

After finally realising his faults at Arsenal, in terms of personnel and approach, Arsene Wenger can seal a top-four finish in the Premier League this season and build a genuine platform for title contention next season and beyond.

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