Arsenal supremo Ivan Gazidis said the club will not shy away from signing top stars.
So what are you waiting for Ivan? Ibrahim Afellay is a player who is a ‘must-sign’ from every perspective, and they should try to do a deal as quickly as possible.
1) He is quality player who will improve the team
Ibrahim Afellay has been described as the next breakout Dutch star. He was tipped to become this upon his move to Barcelona but injuries have curtailed his progress. Now recovered, he could be a major asset to his next club. Put it this way – Andrei Arshavin or Ibrahim Afellay? If you ask Arsenal fans that question the answer would be unanimous in favour of the Dutchman. As a winger, he is more of a complete player than both Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Walcott could even learn some tricks of the trade from him. He would give Arsenal a new attacking edge, and has the individual skill of Hatem Ben Arfa which makes him so unpredictable and a nightmare for defenders. This trickery combined with Walcott’s speedy play would really make life difficult for opposing defences.
2) His link up with Robin van Persie
Afellay spoke yesterday about his on the pitch link up with Van Persie, after the pair combined to hit six past Northern Ireland in a friendly, scoring two each. Afellay said after the game he has always felt a ‘click’ with Van Persie, and the duo clearly can improve each other’s games, and the thought of an improved Robin van Persie will have Premier League defenders turning in their sleep. We will hopefully see more of this at Euro 2012, and that will only whet the appetite of Gunners fans.
3) He can convince Van Persie to stay
Forget the impact on the pitch for a moment, Afellay’s signing might just have the biggest impact off it. If he can persuade Van Persie to sign a new contract to remain with Arsenal, it will be the biggest assist he will ever have in an Arsenal shirt. If Arsenal can get the deal done as quickly as possible, it will be a major ace in their hand when it comes to persuading their captain to stay. He will not only see that Arsenal are signing one of Europe’s top talents, but that they have bagged one of his best mates too. Don’t forget when Van Persie was spotted at the Barcelona team hotel it was to visit Afellay to congratulate him on his return from injury. At least that was the excuse anyway…
4) Arsenal can offer him first team football
Since signing for Barcelona, Afellay has played just 20 games. Sure, this season was a write-off with injury, but after joining in 2011 he never quite became a first team regular. The highlight was his cross at the Bernabeu to help Messi to score past Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, but again this was a showing as a super-sub. Last season was meant to be the one he forced his way through into the first team, but his injury means he is now further back in a pecking order which now boasts Isaac Cuenca and Alexis Sanchez. At Arsenal he could go in and become a starter straight away. At Barcelona he would just be another attacking option in a galaxy of stars, at Arsenal he would become their most potent attacking force from midfield.
5) He is affordable – and the right age
Figures suggested around a transfer have been very much value for money. It has been suggested he would cost £8 million, possibly as much as £12 million, and this would be about right for a player returning from injury. This is very much in Arsenal’s price range, and less than they paid for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andrei Arshavin. The concern is that he has a sparkling Euro 2012 and his price rockets to £20 million plus, but right now he fits the bill. At 26 he is no longer a youngster with ‘potential’ but a star ready to take the next step. He is the same age as Lukas Podolski, and Arsenal would be buying experience as well as talent, and their supporters will finally see Wenger has been listening to their cries.
Will Arsenal sign Afellay from Barcelona?
image: © jikatu
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