Arsenal Transfers: Arshavin, Bendtner, Denilson Out; Benzema, Cahill, Hazard in
The title of the article suggests that this is going to be a transfer analysis for the Gunners. It could be considered as a wish-list of an Arsenal supporter but I have tried to present this article in a manner such that these transfers could be beneficial to the Gunners, not impacting them financially as well.
Arsene Wenger is one of the greatest managers in the world as far as transfers are concerned and that is one of the main reasons why Arsenal are in a healthy financial position as opposed to many other clubs. The French tactician has been given the money to spend in January and in the summer but in the recent past, he has not spent the money unless it is absolutely needed.
Arsenal are fortunate to have an excellent manager in Arsene Wenger but have endured a frustrating trophy drought since moving to the Emirates. Many critics and supporters have put it down to the inexperience of the team and lack of spending by Wenger and even though I am an ardent Arsenal supporter, it is hard to argue that Wenger's reluctance to spend the money has not cost them in any way.
In this article, I have highlighted some possible quality players who could be signed by Arsenal if they are prepared to pay the right money for the deal.
Out: Andrei Arshavin
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Andrei Arshavin was signed by Arsenal in the January transfer window of the 2008-09 season and he proved to be another excellent signing by Wenger. He was inspirational with his superb attacking play in the remainder of the season and emerged as one of the key men for the Gunners.
He continued with his good form in the 2009-10 season but he was inconsistent in the season. He is one of the best attacking players in the world when he is on song and showed his class for Arsenal. However, he was unhappy to be utilised in some unfamiliar roles by Wenger though he remained a key player wherever he played for the Gunners.
In this season, he has looked out of form for most of the season and has been criticised for his lacklustre displays. His work rate has been questionable which has left Gael Clichy exposed on a number of occasions. He does not look the threat he has been for the last two seasons and has not been an important player for the Gunners so far though his statistics are very good for a player who is not in the best of form.
But he will turn 30 in May and it is doubtful if he will accept a new contract by the end of the summer because his contract expires in 2012. Though he is a quality player, Arsenal have managed quite well despite his lack of form and they could cash in on him to acquire a new winger.
Expected Price: £17 million
Out: Denilson
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Denilson was signed by Arsenal from Sao Paulo in 2006 and was rated very highly by Wenger. He has made a number of appearances for the Gunners and has had some good moments for the Gunners. His strengths lie in good reading of the game which helps in intercepting opposition attacks, good passing range and accuracy in passing.
However he does not have the physical presence of Alex Song and does have the creativity of Cesc Fabregas which leaves him to compete for only one slot in the three man midfield. Jack Wilshere has established himself as a regular for the Gunners and has played in most of the games while Denilson has been benched.
Abou Diaby is also ahead of Denilson in the pecking order and with the return to fitness of the talented Welsh youngster Aaron Ramsey it is hard to see Denilson getting many chances in the future. Though he is talented, he might look for other clubs and recent rumour is that Wolfsburg might be ready to pay as much as £12 million for the Brazilian midfielder.
Expected Price: £12 million
Out: Nicklas Bendtner
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Nicklas Bendtner has been at Arsenal for a long time now and has emerged as one of the choices for the role of the striker. He has not been prolific for the Gunners but has provided a good plan B for the Gunners because of his good physical strength and aerial ability. Arsene Wenger has huge faith in the striker and has allowed him the time to develop into a good striker.
However with the acquisition of Marouane Chamakh who is a strong and fit striker, Bendtner has moved further down in the pecking order. He is a regular for the Denmark National team and needs to play regularly in order to maintain his place. But he has struggled to play enough for the Gunners due to the form of Chamakh and his own injury troubles.
Though Wenger might be reluctant to let him go, it is inevitable that he will leave because he will not get enough playing minutes for the Gunners with Van Persie and Chamakh ahead of him. Also, he is not lethal in front of goal and has not been prolific enough to command a place in the starting line-up.
Expected Price: £12 million
In: Karim Benzema
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Karim Benzema was one of the most sought after strikers in the world after scoring scoring an astonishing 55 goals in 2 seasons at Lyon and Manchester United and Real Madrid were the most likely clubs to secure his signing. Real Madrid used their financial muscle to clinch the deal and the French International signed for the club in 2009.
However the former Lyon forward has not been prolific for Real Madrid and has been benched often in favour of Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain. New manager Jose Mourinho is on the market for a new striker in January or the summer which gives a clear indication that he does not trust Benzema to do the job when needed.
Benzema might not have impressed at Real Madrid but a lot of that is due to immense pressure following his high profile move and also, it was the first time he left France. Arsenal could take the opportunity to spend the money required to sign him and he will feel better in the company of his French team mates Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Abou Diaby and Samir Nasri. Though there is an element of risk concerning his recent form and his attitude, his talent is undeniable and could be a gamble worth taking by Wenger.
Expected Price: £20 million
In: Gary Cahill
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Gary Cahill has emerged as one of the most sought after defenders for many English clubs with Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea all linked with the English International in recent months. The Bolton defender has been impressive at the back and is one of the main reasons why the Trotters have enjoyed a very successful start to the start of the season.
Owen Coyle has made it clear that he would allow Cahill to move on if a good club comes in with the right money. Arsenal have been linked to Cahill strongly in the recent past and there is a possibility that Wenger could sign the defender if he makes an early move and is willing to spend the moeny required.
Cahill is commanding at the back and is experienced in the English Premier League which is an advantage. Also, he could form an excellent partnership with Thomas Vermaelen in the future and also has good ability to bring out the ball from the back. He is good in the air, wins challenges and could be the defender that Arsenal need to bring them the stability they require to mount a successful title challenge.
Expected Price: £12 million
In: Eden Hazard
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Eden Hazard has been tracked by Arsenal in the past according to sources and he is rated highly by a number of experts. The Lille winger is one who has high potential and for a club which has excellent young players, Hazard would add a lot of quality. He said in the past that he would prefer a move to Real Madrid or Arsenal.
However, in recent weeks, he said he had turned down an offer from Chelsea and was not planning to join Real Madrid due to immense competition in the Spanish capital. He also commented that joining a club which allows young players to progress like Arsenal would be ideal for his future.
Liverpool are reported to be interested in the winger due to their lack of quality young wingers but the Belgian International might doubt if joining the club in the middle of a bad period is the right move for his career. However, he will ave no such doubts about joining Arsenal after seeing youngsters like Nasri become world class players and will be glad to accept a move to London in the future.
Expected Price: £15 million
Analysis Of The Possible Transfers
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Eden Hazard for Andrei Arshavin
Andrei Arshavin has looked rather disinterested at times and has been out of form. Also, his work rate is quite average which means Clichy has got a lot to deal with on his own which has led to some errors from the French International. He has
Eden Hazard is an young talented prospect who could relish the prospect for playing for Arsenal and he will progress at the Emirates. Also, he will be playing alongside Thomas Vermaelen, who is the Belgium captain as well and he will look to give his best effort. It also opens the door for Theo Walcott to stake a claim and compete for a place with Hazard and could bring out the best from both the youngsters.
Karim Benzema for Nicklas Bendtner
Benzema has been frustrated by the lack of opportunities at Madrid which was one of the reasons he was excluded from the France team but unlike Nasri, he has not had the chance to come back strongly because he started the season on the bench. He will be eager to do well at Arsenal to prove his talent and Wenger could bring the best from the talented lad. At 23 years of age, Arsenal could prove to be the right club for him to resurrect his career.
Bendtner on the other hand has not had many chances for Arsenal this season and has spoken out against it. His strengths are quite similar to that of Chamakh but he is not very prolific and has struggled with injuries as well. Bayern Munich and Ajax have shown interest in the striker and it could be beneficial to both the player and the club if he moves on.
Gary Cahill
Arsenal's problems at the back are well documented and they have conceded some soft goals in the past. Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci have had a tough task on their hands in the absence of the Belgium International Thomas Vermaelen. Koscielny is still inexperienced at the highest level and clearly needs time to progress into an excellent defender.
Gary Cahill is a young, talented player and could provide good stability to the Arsenal defence. He is just the sort of defender that Arsenal need at the moment and could be the ideal partner for Thomas Vermaleen.
The Financial Analysis of The Transfers: Is It Financially Viable?
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I had given an approximate price for each of the players and for a club like Arsenal, which emphasises on not spending too much which could affect them in the long term, is it financially feasible for the club?
Transfers Out:
Andrei Arshavin: £17 million ( range: £ 15 - 20 million )
Denilson: £12 million ( range: £ 10 - 15 million )
Nicklas Bendtner: £12 million ( range: £ 10 - 15 million )
Total Amount Received: £41 million
Transfers In:
Karim Benzema: £20 million ( range: £ 18 - 25 million )
Eden Hazard: £15 million ( range: £ 12 - 18 million )
Gary Cahill: £15 million ( range: £ 12 - 18 million )
Total Amount Received: £45 million
It is debatable if these players could be obtained for the aforementioned prices, especially in the case of Karim Benzema who cost Real Madrid around £35 million but Real Madrid will have to make a loss on Benzema if they bring in a new striker and there will not be many clubs prepared to meet the £25 million price tag.
The whole article has derived a lot of content from rumours and there is a distinct possibility that most of them might not be true. However, it might not be a bad idea to revolutionize his squad by selling some under-performing stars and replacing them with players who could challenge for the first team spots.
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