Arsene Wenger Making a Huge Mistake By Not Signing a Centre Back

Recently, Arsene Wenger stated that it would be a surprise if he signed any player in the January transfer window.

This came as a blow to Arsenal fans who expected him to sign at least a centre back to fill in for the injured Thomas Vermaelen and Sebastian Squillaci.

Despite all this, Wenger is most likely not going to sign a centre back.

The problem is not that there is a shortage of top quality centre backs. Arsenal have been linked with a plethora of centre backs including experienced and talented players like Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka.

Initially, Wenger had stated that he was in the market for a centre back, but following the return of Sebastian Squillaci, Wenger has decided not to sign a defender.

In my opinion, he is making a big mistake that can end up affecting Arsenal’s title bid. Arsenal are a team that is always hit with injuries to key players, especially during the business end of the season. This season, as of now, Arsenal are fairly injury-free except for Thomas Vermaelen.

The absence of Vermaelen has been a huge blow for Wenger and his men, as Vermaelen is undoubtedly their best defender and is Arsenal’s defensive leader. In the absence of Vermaelen, Arsenal has only three fit centre backs in Squillaci, Koscielny and Djourou.

Out of those three, Koscielny and Squillaci are new signings and this is their first season in the Premier League.

Koscielny looks to be a great defender and is fantastic in the air; Squillaci, on the other hand, looks to be shaky and has often made costly mistakes.

The centre back pairing of Koscielny and Squillaci has looked shaky and they have often considered soft goals that have affected the team. Of the 22 goals Arsenal have conceded, 15 have come when the two of them were playing at the heart of the defense.

Djourou has been Arsenal’s best centre back this season and has been one of their star performers. He has been mammoth at the back and despite looking rusty initially, he has bounced back in fashion and is a real force. He is calm and composed on the ball and his height gives him an added advantage. He has added solidarity to the Arsenal back four and has had a great influence on the defense.

Koscielny has looked great when partnering with Djourou and has radiated confidence, an attribute that is severely lacking when he has partnered with Squillaci.

The centre back pairing of Koscielny and Djourou has been Arsenal’s best partnership at the back in the absence of Vermaelen.

The problem is that Djourou is just back from a lengthy lay-off that resulted in him missing all of last season. Due to this fact, Arsene Wenger has been extremely cautious when using the Swiss defender, using him only once a week and rarely more than that.

But the injury to Squillaci meant that Wenger was forced to use him in eight matches in a mere 24 days, which was exactly what Wenger was looking to avoid.

Djourou has been Arsenal’s best centre back and the last thing Wenger would want would be for him to pick up an injury. By playing him in so many matches, Wenger is leaving him vulnerable to injury and leaving Arsenal with the centre back pairing of Koscielny and Squillaci.

Thomas Vermaelen is expected to return in another three-to-four weeks. However, there have been so many setbacks already, considering he was expected to return to action back in September.

Nothing is certain about his return and it will be at least March before he can start on a regular basis again.

So, that leaves Arsenal with just three fit centre backs till Vermaelen’s return. That leaves Arsenal in a situation where they cannot afford to lose a centre back to injury.

If someone were to get injured, Wenger risks tiring his fit centre backs which can affect Arsenal in an extremely bad way.

It’s imperative for Arsenal to have a strong and fit defense in the upcoming months as Arsenal have an extremely hectic fixture list. Arsenal are set to play Barcelona in the Champions League knockout stages and are through to the finals of the Carling Cup.

Arsenal cannot allow any slip ups in the title race and need to win every possible game to lift the Premier League crown.

To ensure that Arsenal have a fit and firing defense, Arsene Wenger will have to go out and sign a defender before the transfer window closes. There are several talented players out on the market like Gary Cahill, Sakho, Jagielka and Vertonghen.

Several of these players have a lot of experience, even at the international level, and are seasoned campaigners. Their signings would offer Wenger some flexibility in squad selection, especially since he likes mixing up his squad.

They would add something new to the Arsenal ranks and would no doubt boost their chances of capturing a major trophy.

Arsene Wenger is a great manager and one of the best in the world but he needs to show some initiative and do whatever he can to buy a centre back. He recently stated that he doesn’t need 5 centre backs at the club and that it would be a waste.

But in the long run, it can prove to be a smart piece of business.

Arsenal are hit by injuries almost every other season and Squillaci is over 30, which means he has only about two years left in his Arsenal career.

Arsenal and injuries always go hand-in-hand and Arsenal needs to be prepared for the best.

This article is also featured on my blog: Sportsbuzz