Arsenal Transfer Rumors: 3 Pros and 3 Cons of Signing Adel Taarabt
According to ESPN and many other news outlets, Queens Park Rangers star midfielder Adel Tarrabt is eyeing a transfer to either Chelsea or Arsenal.
Should the Moroccan make his way to the Gunners this summer, what kind of impact will he make?
Is he somehow the missing piece to a run at the title? Is he just a phantom signing by Arsene Wenger to calm people's nerves?
Here's a look at some reasons why Tarrabt might be the perfect fit, and some reasons why the opposite might just be true.
Pro: Age
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At 22 years of age, Adel Tarrabt is still improving and could very well establish himself as a fixture in Arsenal's midfield for years to come.
The young star has already done everything he can with the Queens Park Rangers, as he was awarded the Championship Player of the Year. If he stays with QPR, there will be a lot less room for improvement than if he comes to Arsenal.
There's no telling what this kid's ceiling is, but if he comes to the Emirates, chances are, he will get a lot closer to that ceiling. A young corps of Jack Wilshire, Samir Nasri and Adel Tarrabt could be dominate.
Con: Arrogance
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In a recent interview, Adel Taarabt stated that he could be a possible replacement to star midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
While it appears that Taarabt is a terrific player, he's still far away from being able to replace a class player like Fabregas.
This could easily be described as confidence (good) or arrogance (bad), but Taarabt probably needs to tone it down a little bit. He's been known to have an unusual temperament in the past, and that would have to be toned down if he wants to be successful for the Gunners.
Pro: Playing with Friends
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Back when Taarabt to Arsenal rumors were sparking up in April, the Moroccan stated that Arsenal would be a good place to because he has friends there.
Taarabt is apparently friends with Samir Nasri, Abou Diaby and fellow Moroccan International Marouanne Chamakh.
While the previous problem of arrogance and a bad temperament could raise issues, having some older, wiser friends around him to rein him in would definitely be a good thing. Taarabt would be more comfortable with Arsenal, and therefore able to concentrate on his game.
Con: Is There Room?
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There's still no guarantee that Cesc Fabregas will leave Arsenal, and if he stays, there isn't a whole lot of need for another attacking midfielder.
Even if Cesc does leave, there would still a bit of a logjam. Jack Wilshire, Samir Nasri, Andrei Arshavin and Taarabt are all similar attacking midfielder-type players.
While Taarabt is young and in great form, he doesn't really address Arsenal's weaknesses.
Pro: His Form Against Chelsea
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When QPR went up against Chelsea last season, Adel Taarabt came in as a substitute in the 72nd minute.
In the short amount of time, Taarabt made many fabulous runs, created multiple scoring opportunities and even made Joe Cole look a little silly.
His ability to hold his own against a top EPL team has to be an encouraging sign for anyone worried about what kind of a hit his form will take in a tougher league.
Con: Lack of Defense
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While it was sort of mentioned in an earlier slide, Adel Taarabt is an attacking midfielder, and often gives no help at all to the left back.
It seems that he doesn't offer anything new to the current slew of Arsenal midfielders. They have had trouble with their guys in the middle holding on to the ball too much and moving up too far, and Taarabt adds to the problem, rather than fixes it.
