Arsenal Transfer Rumours: £60 Million Reasons Why Wenger Must Buy These Players

According to Wayne Veysey at Goal.com, Arsenal will finally sell want-away duo Cesc Fàbregas and Samir Nasri to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively, for a combined transfer fee of £60 million. 

In the past, I've defended manager Arsène Wenger for not spending, because the power struggle between Lady Bracewell-Smith, Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov may have restricted the money available. 

Sure, Wenger sticks to economic principles in refusing to pay out inflated transfer fees, but if Veysey's report is correct, then Wenger has no excuses not to spend.

He must spend all £60 million to ensure Arsenal have the best chance at competing with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. 

Here are the players Wenger must buy.    

Centre Back: Christopher Samba

Forget about Gary Cahill and Scott Dann. Christopher Samba is the best option. 

However, since he signed a contract extension this year, he effectively gave Blackburn Rovers the upper hand in negotiating his future—which meant talks with Arsenal were futile. 

The Daily Mail believes Rovers want £12 million for the Congolese centre back.

£10 million plus Sébastien Squillaci will entice Rovers into saying bye bye to Samba. 

Finally, Arsenal will have a rugged no-nonsense and physical centre back who isn't going to make schoolboy errors like Laurent Koscielny and can actually defend unlike Philippe Senderos.

Money in the bank: £50 million.   

Centre Back: Jan Vertonghen

C'mon, where's Gary Cahill? 

With a £60 million transfer kitty, what do you think Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle is going to be like in negotiations?

£17 million or else. 

You're dreaming Coyle, because Cahill can be signed for free next year.  

If Cahill is desperate to sign for Arsenal, he'll wait out his contract; if he doesn't, he'll be at Anfield.

Given Thomas Vermaelen's injury clouds, you have to buy his compatriot and former teammate Jan Vertonghen for £15 million.

For Belgium, he's played competently at left back against Azerbaijan, Austria and Russia. For Ajax, he's been good at centre back, often covering for the AWOL Gregory van der Wiel.

Strong, composed with the possession, a long range threat and versatile in that he can play competently at left back, centre back and as a defensive midfielder.  

Vertonghen is a must buy. 

Money in the bank: £35 million.  

Defensive Midfielder: Éver Banega

At his best, winning the ball in midfield and displaying his expansive passing vision whilst orchestrating the midfield in an Andrea Pirlo-esq fashion.

At his worst, a cancer in the dressing room, a headline-grabber for the wrong reasons, purposely refusing to work hard on the field and a rebel to authority figures.

According to Goal.com Italia, Inter Milan have sneakily bid £7.9 million for him, even though Valencia want £8.8 million. 

Arsenal should come in and bid £10 million for Banega. 

Unlike Alex Song, Banega knows his positions. His football IQ is high enough to say I won't bomb forward, because if we lose possession, clumsy Laurent Koscielny will be exposed.

Koscielny had a season to forget, but his problems were amplified because Song, the defensive midfielder, the player who was supposed to protect the back four, spent too much time imitating Arturo Vidal. 

Money in the bank: £25 million.  

Attacking Midfielder: Eden Hazard

Last season, Eden Hazard played the majority of games as a left/right-sided forward in a 4-3-3. 

Like Mario Götze, left, right or centre, it doesn't matter as long as Hazard has possession—it's all smooth sailing.

The debate is over signing Hazard or Juan Manuel Mata. While there's isn't much to separate the two, Mata does have the edge since he plays in a stronger league. 

I chose Hazard because he speaks French, he's former teammates with Gervinho and he's three years younger than Mata.

£25 million should be enough to sign him. 

Cesc Fàbregas Replacement?

Hello, you didn't replace Cesc Fàbregas. 

There's no need to—just move Jack Wilshere into Fàbregas' position.

It struck me as odd when English national manager Fabio Capello stated Wilshere was his Claude Makélélé.

Wilshere's ability to dribble in tight spaces, his incisive passing and just his all-action game is more suited in a more creative position as opposed to the limited Makélélé role.    

How Will Arsenal Look?

I don't trust Kieran Gibbs at left back, so it will either be Thomas Vermaelen or Jan Vertonghen.

Given that Arsène Wenger stated Vermaelen as one of Arsenal's three left backs, I decided to play Vermaelen as a left back. 

People often forget that full backs aren't supposed to be scoring and creating goals, they're supposed to stop teams from scoring and creating goals.

This defence is solid.

The only problem I can see with the lineup is Alex Song forgetting he's a defensive midfielder.

You have Éver Banega pulling the strings from deep, you have Jack Wilshere continuing to excel and then you have Gervinho and Eden Hazard cutting in and causing havoc for opposing full backs.

Robin van Persie has to stay fit if Arsenal are to contend. 

Oh, and you also have Theo Walcott off the bench.

On paper, this team can contend. What do you think?

Please also read European Football Transfer Rumours: 25 Huge Moves That Could Still Happen.

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