Why Arsenal Should Buy Joao Moutinho

I fully acknowledge the idea and inspiration that I got from Deepak Israni and later by Marie Ofeire, Eddy Hirono, and Shyam Parthasarathi.

In this edition, I am looking at a player regarded by a lot of people as one of best midfielders in the current crop and on whom the dirty radars of Real Madrid and Manchester City have fallen.

He is also linked with a move to Everton but his current club Sporting Club de Portugal (where he is currently the captain of the squad) has claimed him to be indispensable. Now, let us look at those career stats.

Name: João Filipe Iria Santos Moutinho

Age: 22

Position: All-round Midfielder, known to play anywhere in the midfield.

National Team: Portugal

Appearances(Goals): 196 (21)

During 2004-05 the manager of Sporting spotted some real class and talent in a 17-year-old boy who later debuted for the same club along with fellow players like Nani and Miguel Veloso.

In the beginning of 2005 he was called up for a game in the Portuguese Cup, thus making his official debut on January 23, 2005, playing 90 minutes in a 3-0 win at Gil Vicente FC.

He received the jersey number 28 from Cristiano Ronaldo. Based on extremely consistent displays, Moutinho wasted no time in establishing himself as a regular as he quickly grew into a polished performer, able to play in any position across a flat midfield or in a diamond formation.

His box-to-box dynamism and tremendous determination quickly made him a firm fan favourite, as he rarely missed a game since becoming a first-choice player.His first international goal came in a friendly against Georgia in May 2008.

Pros.

• Highly versatile with a wide array of skills.
• Good defensive skills.
• Although young, he has played more minutes than anyone in his age range. Thus a perfect blend of youth and experience.
• As an intelligent player with great passing skills, he would easily fit into Arsenal's scheme of things. Also a future captain prospect and the best candidate to fit into Fabregas' shoes when he leaves North London (the inevitable).
• Very good at set pieces and hence could come handy in tight situations.

Cons

• Vertically not that gifted at a height of 5'7".
• Belongs to a league and a team that is comparedly less competitive to the English Premier League, hence less exposure to better talents.
• Some tough competition from different leagues ranging from Inter Milan to Liverpool.

• A recent news that he signed a new deal with Sporting that may have increased his buyout clause astronomically.

He is not the player who is tailor-made for the present Arsenal situation. Arsenal needs strength, speed, aerial prowess, and a stronger defense which he cannot completely fulfill.

But the situation may worsen the next season when there will be a stronger tendency for Fabregas' exodus from London. It is always better if we have a good replacement to our best player and Joao Moutinho is my first bet for the task.

Sources: Wikipedia