Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Kieran Richardson Doesn't Make Sense for Gunners

Sunderland midfielder Kieran Richardson is on the radar of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, according to the Daily Mail. It's a surprising link considering his lack of production for the Black Cats this season; he wouldn't provide an upgrade over the Gunners' current crop when everybody is healthy.

"

Richardson is thought to be keen on a return to London and the move would free-up funds for Black Cats boss Martin O'Neill to spend in the transfer window.

The London-born midfielder, 27, missed the last game through illness but may find it hard to force his way back into the side following the stunning win over Manchester City.

"

Arsenal has fought its way back up the table following a slow start to the season. The Gunners currently sit in fifth place and are still holding on to slim title hopes after Manchester City's recent skid and Manchester United's lack of dominance since the early going.

Adding Richardson wouldn't do anything to boost their chances of reaching that ultimate goal.

Jack Wilshere is still at least a month away from returning and the team has dealt with several other injuries to the midfield throughout the season, so it's no surprise that midfielders are on Wenger's wish list. That said, Richardson wouldn't be anything more than a depth addition.

Mikel Arteta, Alex Song and Aaron Ramsey have all made steady improvement since the season began. Yossi Benayoun has shown some flashes of his former ability during his runs. Beyond that, there's a plethora of other guys just hoping to get their chance before Wilshere returns.

Richardson would be nothing more than another name on that long list of hopefuls. He's certainly not the game-changer people were expecting him to eventually become when he was with the Red Devils.

He has just two goals and two assists in 18 league games during the current campaign. Even less inspiring are his shot numbers, which show that less than one-third of his attempts toward goal actually hit the target.

There are also the questions about his attitude, which date back to his days with United. Arsenal have really seemed to bond together in recent months after everybody started to count them out. The last thing they need is a new player to come in and disrupt that chemistry.

The only thing that would seemingly be interesting about him would be his versatility. He's been able to hold his own at several different positions in recent years, but that doesn't outweigh his lack of standout characteristics.

At the end of the day, he's nothing more than an average Premiership player that is best off on a bottom-half team like Sunderland, where his playing time is consistent and the pressure level remains low. That wouldn't be the case at Emirates.

He should be a last resort, not Wenger's first choice.