Arsenal

Arsenal are a tad late to the party, but they are very close to signing two new players. Their rivals have all signed at least two new players, but Arsenal’s exploitation of the transfer market means that they could bring in Mathieu Debuchy and Alexis Sanchez in a matter of days, as reported by Talksport. The fans are obviously jubilant at this news, which has been in circulation for a few days now. However, they will now be wondering who is next on the shopping list.

Arsenal have all but confirmed the signing of Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle United. His signing is to replace Bacary Sagna who walked out of the club as a free agent at the end of last season and was picked up by Manchester City. It is a very like-for-like switch, but there are other positives to the Gunners signing Debuchy.

With the World Cup almost at an end and teams returning to training, thoughts will soon be turning to the new Premier League season. The transfer window has been open for a while now and teams haven’t hung around in their pursuit of new players. As we all know, most of the big clubs have signed some new players, but Arsenal are yet to open their chequebook. However, their business so far has involved bringing in young prospects and getting rid of those who are worthless at the club. Clearing wages for new players is a very important job, because if you can’t afford the wages then you won’t get the player.

It must be very hard for many Arsenal fans right now as they see most of their rivals signing some top players and all they have is a bunch of rumours. As an Arsenal fan myself, I can assure you it is very hard. We learned last summer that patience is a virtue and you just cannot write off Arsene Wenger in the transfer market. We thought we were entering the season having just signed Mathieu Flamini and Emiliano Viviano on loan, but on the final day we secured Mesut Ozil for a club record fee. This is proof that Wenger and money can go together very well. 

Arsenal have not yet made a signing for the first team and Arsene Wenger has been criticised for this, especially as most of their rivals have already secured some big money-players. Manchester United have bought Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera. Chelsea has secured Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa. Liverpool have been very busy and signed Adam Lallana, Emre Can and Rickie Lambert, while Manchester City have bought Fernando from FC Porto and picked up Bacary Sagna who was a free agent. They have all spent on key positions which need improving, but now it is time for the Gunners to show that they mean business.

To be a successful defensive midfielder you need a number of key attributes. Many think that it is easy playing in the position, but it is actually one of the hardest to master. It is a position that doesn’t require you to run a marathon every time you step foot on to a pitch, but you need a little bit of everything to be successful. It is not a position that just any midfielder can play in either. This is especially true for players who are used to attacking; it can create problems if they are told to defend more.

The thought of Arsenal being one of the most dangerous teams in Europe may bring laughter to all opposition fans due to the fact they aren’t even close at the moment. However, the Gunners have a team with a lot of potential and a huge summer ahead of them. Money is there to spend and Arsene Wenger looks like he will spend it. It is now all about buying the right players for the team.  While the side desperately need a new striker, holding midfielder, right-back, centre-back and goalkeeper, improving other areas could reduce the amount of money needed in those positions.