Sergio Ramos: Arsene Wenger Must Not Waste Time by Pursuing Real Madrid Star

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos in recent reports, but manager Arsene Wenger must forget such flights of fancy and target a more attainable option in January.

Alex Richards of the Mirror relayed reports from journalist Manuel Esteban Manolete, of Spanish publication AS, who claims Wenger contacted Ramos' agent with a view to a move for the defender amid stalled contract talks at Madrid.

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Manolete told radio show La Goleada, "Wenger has called Rene Ramos, the agent and brother of Sergio Ramos," with Richards adding this was to "gauge his interest in a possible move to north London."

Arsenal clearly need a centre-back in January, as their back line is suffering this season.

A player of Ramos' magnitude should be pursued in the rare eventuality of any concrete availability, and Wenger should be commended for his ambition.

But the reality is that Ramos is a bridge too far for Arsenal, and he remains an important player for Madrid.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Arsenal's Centre-Back Struggles

Wenger recently, and more explicitly, declared his January transfer intentions, per the Guardian's Paul Doyle.

The manager claimed that if the right centre-back option became available in January, he would "without any doubt," make an offer for the player.

Michael Steele/Getty Images

That alludes to a lack of depth and a struggle for consistent quality in the Arsenal defence this season, particularly at centre-back.

Per Mertesacker, so long the bastion of stability, has come under fire of late after a rare dip in form compounded by a shocking attempt to block Martin Skrtel's late, equalising header in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

Furthermore, Mertesacker's regular partner, Laurent Koscielny, has suffered continual injury problems this season, making just eight Premier League appearances.

This has opened a gaping hole in the Arsenal defence, which the manager has struggled to plug.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

By fielding natural full-backs Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy and Nacho Monreal at centre-back, Wenger has left his side vulnerable due to their lack of positional nous.

Wenger himself conceded that 19-year-old Chambers had "hit the wall" after having "played too many games" this season, per David Hytner of the Guardian.

Arsenal need to provide Chambers with a welcome rest, return Debuchy and Monreal to their natural roles, and provide Mertesacker with a top-class partner to compensate for Koscielny's continued woes.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Sergio Ramos

Ramos is a rare player who would be able to compensate for all of those issues.

Signing the defender from Madrid would be considered an exceptional coup given the level at which Ramos has played at for almost 10 years since his €27 million signing from Sevilla in 2005.

Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

Ramos has contributed to three La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey victories and last season's Champions League triumph over Atletico Madrid.

Furthermore, for Spain, Ramos was part of the hugely successful side that won back-to-back major honours, with the 2008 and 2012 European Championships bookending a 2010 World Cup win.

At just 28 years old, Ramos is capable of continuing at this level for a further four or five years at least.

Ramos' statistics compare well with the contributions of Arsenal's current senior centre-back options:

	Tackles per game	Interceptions per game	Passing Accuracy
Ramos	1.9	3.1	88.9
Mertesacker	0.7	2.2	89.3
Koscielny	1.5	4	90.5

With previous experience as a right-back at Madrid and Sevilla and as a natural right-footer, Ramos would be able to partner Mertesacker in Koscielny's right centre-back role as well as cover at full-back when required.

This would surely be a big plus for a versatility-favouring Wenger.

With all of this considered, does Ramos' reported availability not seem too good to be true?

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Availability

At Madrid, Ramos competes with Raphael Varane and Pepe for a centre-back slot.

Varane is a hugely accomplished defender, and former Madrid boss Jose Mourinho believes him to be "the best young central defender in the world," per the Daily Mail.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Signed from Lens in 2011, Varane will likely become a stalwart in the Madrid defence for the next decade at least.

But at the moment, the 21-year-old remains on the periphery for manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Varane has made just four La Liga starts this season, with a further four substitute appearances.

In comparison, Ramos has made 13 Liga starts, and Pepe has made 12.

Ramos and Pepe remain a hugely stable central defensive partnership for Ancelotti at Madrid, with the side conceding 13 goals in 15 games so far this season in the league.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Varane will partner one of the pair in the future, and the French defender's rise to fulfil his potential could be spurring Wenger's interest in Ramos.

But at 28 years old, three years Pepe's junior, Ramos is unlikely to relinquish his starting role just yet, with his Portuguese counterpart more likely to drop off in the coming years due to age.

Arsenal fans should commend Wenger for reportedly pursuing the eventuality of signing a player of Ramos' calibre.

Clearly, it shows remarkable ambition.

However, the manager should consider how much of this interest is pure fantasy and switch his attention to more attainable targets before it becomes too late.

Statistics via WhoScored.com.

Follow @LusbyLatest