Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Will Still Thrive Without Nasri and Fabregas

Arsenal are on the verge of losing their top two midfielders to transfer, but don't expect the Gunners to roll over and die if they do.

The Gunners have been fighting to keep Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas from leaving all summer long, as both players have been linked to moves out of Emirates.

Nasri has been linked closely to a move to Manchester City, while Fabregas has been linked to a move to Barcelona from the instant he left the Catalan giants seven seasons ago. 

A BBC Sport report indicated that after nearly three full months of fighting to keep the talented playmakers in the fold in North London, the Gunners are almost ready to sell both in the coming days, as manager Arsene Wenger told reporters that the club had some tough decisions to make in the coming days. 

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"We hope it will be sorted out very quickly one way or the other," Wenger said of Fabregas.

"The Nasri situation is stable. Again it is very difficult to speak about possible transfers but we are in a situation where we have to make decisions one way or the other. Ideally you want it to be sorted out before the season starts."

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With their two midfield dynamos seemingly headed elsewhere, Arsenal are sure to regress, right?

Wrong. The fact of the matter is, the Gunners figure to still be competitive even without Fabregas or Nasri. 

How is that possible? Simple, even if the Gunners don't make a single move, their midfield figures to still be one of the most talented young units in the sport.

They still hold onto young talents like Ryo Miyaichi, the 18-year-old phenom who has been magic on the wing in Belgium, Aaron Ramsey, the 20-year-old midfield dynamo who would have seen plenty more playing time last season had he not been hurt for most of it and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the 17-year-old midfield maestro who was one of the hottest young commodities in the sport. 

They also have the likes of Andrei Arshavin, the 30-year-old winger, who is an outright wizard with the ball at his feet (even if he's completely invisible without it) and the always impressive Jack Wilshere, the 19-year-old phenom destined for greatness for club and country. 

But here's the thing. There's no way the Gunners don't make moves with the £57 million they're likely to get from the two deals, and those moves will keep Arsenal at a high level in the Premiership. 

They've been linked to versatile midfielder Juan Mata throughout the summer, a 23-year-old dynamo capable of filling Nasri's shoes and then some and have been on the market for a playmaking midfielder to replace Fabregas as well. 

Most importantly, Arsenal would have the funds to fix the biggest hole in their club, the terrible back line. The Gunners' defense is in dire need of repair, and with that £57 million, they could chase myriad options to strengthen the back line. 

Bolton centre-back Gary Cahill, Blackburn defender Chris Samba, Everton's Phil Jagielka and Birmingham's Scott Dann are all potential targets for Arsenal, as they look to splash serious cash this summer.

With the big money they'll get, there's an excellent chance that Arsenal gets two of those four defenders to strengthen their back line, which would immediately make the Gunners better. 

I'm not saying there won't be any drop-off; anytime you lose two players as talented as Fabregas and Nasri, it's going to have a serious impact on your club.

But the Gunners' midfield depth means they're better positioned to weather a blow like that than almost any club in the Premiership, and the boost in the defense provided by the influx of cash means that there won't be that much of a dip in the Gunners fortunes at all. 

It's never easy to say goodbye, particularly when the players leaving are Fabregas and Nasri, but in the end, as long as Wenger spends the cash on defensive help (and a midfielder like Mata couldn't hurt either), the Gunners figure to be firing again next year.