With Nuri Sahin set to choose Liverpool over Arsenal and join the Reds on a season-long from Real Madrid, we take a look at what this means for Arsene Wenger’s side.
In a saga which has dragged over the last couple of weeks and seen both clubs ‘close’ to getting their man, Arsenal had been on the verge of securing the services of the Real Madrid midfielder. At one stage it was even reported to be a done deal, but it seems now as though Sahin will now be playing his football next season at Anfield.
It is reported that Arsenal had agreed to pay Madrid a £2 million fee plus most of Sahin’s wages before Liverpool hijacked the deal, offering a £5 million fee and to pay all of the player’s wages. Other reports suggest that the Gunners’ downfall was that they wanted to make the move for the 23-year-old a permanent one but the Turkish midfielder was only prepared to leave the Bernabeu on a temporary basis. Liverpool have also promised regular game-time and no doubt Madrid manager Jose Mourinho would have had a word in Sahin’s ear about his close friend Rodgers after the Northern Irishman worked under ‘the special one’ at Chelsea.
After Liverpool’s narrow Europa League victory over Scottish side Hearts, manager Brendan Rodgers said how he thought a deal was imminent and expects to have it all tied up within the next 24 hours.
So with Arsenal refusing to match Liverpool’s offer, believing it not to be value for money, the North London club must now turn their attention to other midfield options. Yann M’Vila has long been linked with a move to the Emirates and his club Rennes are said to be holding out for £17 million for the defensive midfielder who would be the perfect, if not better, replacement for Alex Song.
Wenger has said that for all his strengths, Song was too attacking – but in the midfield he was playing in last season, maybe he needed to be. In effect, when Arsenal sold Song to Barcelona, they lost two players – the Song who was the anchor of the team, breaking the play up when needed and Song the attacker who would play delightful through-ball after delightful through-ball.
Santi Cazorla’s vision and passing against Sunderland last weekend showed that he can be or is the man to replace the creative side of Song and would have marked his Premier League debut with an assist if it wasn’t for a terrible miss by fellow new-boy Olivier Giroud in the closing stages against the Black Cats. So signing M’Vila would be the perfect complement for Cazorla, and offer a far more balanced combination that a Sahin-Cazorla axis would have offered.
Ultimately, it will force Arsene Wenger to completely re-think his transfer plans. Arsenal have also been linked Sevilla’s Jesus Navas but an attempt to sign the winger would be seen as another bold attacking move from Wenger who’s side are not short of options in that area, despite the sale of Robin van Persie to rivals Manchester United. Unless Walcott is sold, a winger is arguably the one area of the pitch Arsenal do not need to strengthen.
There is another attacking option out there though which will sound tempting to any Gooner. A player who can play out wide, through the middle or as a second-striker – Fulham’s Clint Dempsey. Liverpool might have stole Sahin from under Arsenal’s noses but there a number of reasons why they can do the same to Rodgers and co with Dempsey.
At the end of last week Fulham made an official complaint for allegedly tapping up their star player so if Arsenal politely came knocking on the door now, surely the West London club would much rather do business with them. Dempsey, who did not feature during Fulham’s 5-0 thrashing of Norwich City on the opening day and has been omitted from the squad which will face Manchester United tomorrow, has stated his desire to play in the Champions League so a move across town would be one the 29-year-old USA forward wouldn’t have to think twice about.
There have also been rumours linking the Gunners’ out-of-favour striker Park with a move to Craven Cottage – it has been reported in Spain that the South Korean is off to La Liga but reports in his homeland suggest he is heading to Fulham. If the latter is true then this could be an opportunity for Arsenal to build relations with the club and go a long way to bringing Dempsey to the club.
And then there are comments made by Wenger that he wants to sign a defender, with M’Bengue, Yanga-Mbiwa, and Mexes all linked. If Wenger could have secured Sahin then it would have allowed him to concentrate on other areas of the pitch.
Now he will be hoping to add a midfielder, defender, and a goalscorer in the last few days. It might be a surprise if they end up with all three.
With only one week left until the transfer window slams shut, who do Arsenal fans want to see brought in?
image: © wonker
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
