Arsenal sold Alex Song to Barcelona in the summer and keeping the Cameroon international surely would have helped Wenger’s side from struggling to keep pace with the top 4 this season but Song’s gone and Arsenal find themselves 4 points behind 4th placed North London Rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Song’s play was built around breaking up opposition attacks and winning the ball for the more creative midfielders around him to take a free role without the burden of defensive work. Arsenal’s squad lacks a player in this mould but north of the border there is a young midfielder of the exact same style ready to move to the Premier League.
Celtic’s Victor Wanyama has recently rejected a contract extension meaning the Scottish club may be looking to cash in on the Kenyan international who showed his huge potential in the Champions League defeat of Barcelona earlier in the season.
Wanyama’s game is built amongst the same principles as Alex Song’s and would bring the physical aspect that Arsene Wenger’s favoured lightweight midfielders, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta, lack.
At only 21 the Kenyan powerhouse has plenty of years ahead of himself to learn more about controlling the game from a defensive midfield position but in his short career in Scotland he has already shown he has the physical presence to stamp his authority on a big game as well as the discipline to keep himself out of trouble with the referee.
If Wenger really wants a more physical midfielder to give Arsenal more bit and aggression there is no doubting Wanyama could be the man but any move would have to come soon with Manchester United poised to make a £10 million bid.
Sam Jewell
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