Recent reports in the national daily papers have suggested that Manchester United winger Nani could be on his way to Arsenal for £20 million. His arrival could even keep Theo Walcott at the club.
Theo Walcott has stalled over a new contract at Arsenal because he wants to play as a striker. Arsene Wenger may find it substantially easier to get him to stay if he signs Nani from Manchester United which could release Walcott to go and compete with Olivier Giroud for the primary central striker role in the Arsenal side.
It’s clear that for some reason Nani does not figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s immediate plans at United which means the club could move him on in January. The only stumbling block could be Ferguson’s reluctance to sell to a Premier League rival because, other than Carlos Tevez, he has not sold to English clubs in the past. David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo among others have all been sold to overseas clubs.
Wenger has given Walcott until the end of December to decide whether he is going to commit to another Arsenal contract. This news could force Walcott into a re-think because he has previously said his debating over the new deal is nothing to do with money but the role he plays in the team.
Nani would be a terrific addition to Arsenal because he loves to play out wide and terrorise the full back. He is very good at cutting inside, linking up with the central midfielders and his crossing has also substantially improved with his pace and skill meaning he can beat a full back down the outside.
The only problem with this thinking behind a Nani move to Arsenal is how Lukas Podolski is likely to react. The German has been playing down the left wing for the Gunners and has also expressed a desire to play as a striker. He may not take it well if Walcott is released to play up front before him.
This would seem a little bizarre considering the better experience Podolski has at international level. If Wenger does use the possible arrival of Nani as a way to encourage Walcott to stay at the club then he needs to be very careful that he doesn’t upset one of his better and higher profile players in the process.
There are many stumbling blocks to this possible move for the United winger. Wenger has been reluctant to break the wage structure of his current team which is something he would have to do before Nani signed on the dotted line because there are other teams around Europe such as Juventus who are ready to talk to him.
image: © notsogoodphotography
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