Going shopping with Arsenal (Part 1)

They departed.

Three of them. Two vital parts of the Arsenal engine followed by a spare part. One motivated by greed, another by the chance for regular football and the third to escape the hustle and bustle of city life (hope they have farmsteads in Barcelona!).

The Frenchman, the Belorussian and the Brazilian all bidding farewell to the Arsenal faithful. Without replacement surely the engine that drives the sleek machine called Arsenal forward will begin to cough and splutter.

Indeed, some fans coughed and spluttered on their drinks as they received the news that Arsenal had let three off its midfielders move on to other clubs. Tabloids and journalists began to get busy speculating possible players that Arsene Wenger might bring in to fill in the gaping hole in the middle off the Arsenal team.

Amongst the players that the press have nominated as possible replacements for the now departed trio, two players stand out. Aston Villa's Gareth Barry and Liverpool's Xabi Alonso. 

In this article I look to present Gareth Barry and his brand of football and try to gauge how he would fit into the Arsenal midfield and in my next article I will focus on Alonso.

Gareth Barry needs no introduction to the regular English Premier League follower. The Aston Villa midfielder's attempt to force his managers hand to sell him to Liverpool has grabbed the headlines for most of the summer break. However Liverpool's failure to meet Villa's evaluation of the player has opened a window of opportunity for Arsene Wenger to pounce.

A versatile player, Barry has played in a number of positions ranging from center back to left back and then midfield, his current role. He was bought by Villa in August 1997 from Brighton and Hove Albion FC for a fee of 50,000 pounds with additional clauses depending on his selection for the National side. 

Gareth Barry Fact Box

Name: Gareth Barry                                                   

Aston Villa: 1997 - ?   322 app. 35 goals

Age: 27                                                                      

England: 2000 - ?    20 app.   1 goal

Nationality: English

Current Club: Aston Villa

Preferred Position: Midfielder (Central/Left)

Alternative Position: Defender (Central/Left)

Height: 1.83m

Weight: 78.99kg

What does Barry offer to Arsenal?

A tall midfielder with a strong tackle would go a long way in easing the departure of the defensive Arsenal midfielders. A tireless performer Gareth Barry gives his all in every game.

I see him as a blend between Frank Lampard and Mathieu Flamini. A workhorse who is not shy to have a crack at goal. He his only second to Lampard at arriving late in the box during an attack. He has collected valuable amounts of experience playing in the Premier League and will need very little time to settle in at The Emirates.

Barry boasts 20 England caps at senior level and is currently very much a part of Fabio Capello's plans in the England setup. Arsenal's fans would be glad to have another England international as part of their squad so that Arsenal may be held less accountable for England's apparent scarcity of talent. 

His compatibility with the Arsenal way?

Barry would not have a problem fitting in to the Arsenal brand of football. His current team play in a similar fashion using the big Jon Carew as a target man much in the same way that Arsenal used Emanuel Adebayor last season.

Barry is a good passer of the ball and would be an intimidating physical presence in the midfield which some people might say is what Arsenal lack

Possible obstacles to an agreement?

Barry has already stated his desire to play for Liverpool. That and his price tag may force Wenger to look elsewhere for a midfielder. His age might be considered as ancient to Arsene but there there were whisperings at the end of last season of Wenger's intention of recruiting an experienced campaigner.

All in all, Barry is an exciting prospect for the Arsenal fans but as to whether his move will materialise is anybody's guess...