WTTGT Writer: Jay James-Waller
Tis’ the season to be spending and with January just a few weeks away many a merry Gooner will be hoping Arsene Wenger puts his Christmas bonus to good use this year. But with names flying about here, there and everywhere exactly just who should Le Boss go out and grab?
Mario Götze
First up is a young player who plenty of Arsenal fans will already be very much aware of by now, having impressed against the Gunners earlier in this seasons Champions League campaign, German prodigy Mario Götze. Bound and blessed with pace, creativity and at times, sheer genius, Götze has already made headlines over in Bundesliga. For the 19 year old to have already made well over 60 club appearances too is some impressive feat, but add to this the 12 international appearances earned for a side boasting an array of midfield stars including Mesut Özil, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Marco Reus and this only emphasises the quality the playmaker already possesses. A lucrative bid in the dying hours of last summers transfer window wasn’t enough to lure the starlet away from Borussia Dortmund, but Arsene Wenger clearly regards the youngster very highly and could well be tempted into making another offer to bring him to the Emirates. Make no mistakes, Mario Götze is undoubtedly one player Ivan Gazidis and his team really should pull out all the stops for.
Xherdan Shaqiri
When you create two assists in a Champions League victory against Manchester United, the whole world sits up and takes notice. The name Xherdan Shaqiri will undoubtedly be one on plenty of managers wishlists this January, but just what is it that makes him such a promising talent? Measuring up at just 5ft 7 hasn’t hindered young Shaqiri who thanks to an impressively stocky frame can certainly hold his own out on the wing. This, combined with flair, power and a burst of pace quick enough to send chills down even the most able of fullbacks gives Xherdan everything he needs to fulfill his potential. It isn’t just his overall play which will gain the pundits plaudits either as the 20-year-old has already well and truly made his mark on the international stage with a stunner against England last September and a remarkable hatrick against Sweden. FC Basel will rightly be looking to hold out for a large offer for the Swiss starlet, but if Arsene Wenger were to plunge into his pockets and thrash out a deal then it would be a late Christmas present well worth waiting for.
Lukas Podolski
Lets face it, Arsenal could really do with a new striker to ring in the new year. What with Marouane Chamakh currently lingering around like a lost figure and Park Chu-Young unable as of yet to adapt to the Arsenal way, Arsene Wenger is playing a notoriously dangerous game in relying on talisman van Persie’s fitness. Bringing in a fresh frontman should surely be at the top of Wenger’s Christmas list and the one name that keeps popping up is that of FC Köln skipper Lukas Podolski, with good reason. An impressive record of 43 goals in 95 international appearances for Germany makes for an interesting statistic, and on the pitch Podolski is a player with an experienced head, a natural eye for goal, and for those who have ever had the luxury of watching him in action, a truly thunderous left foot. At the age of 26 years too, the Polish born striker could be just reaching his peak and would go some way into relieving the mountain of pressure on our number 10. Whether Podolski would consider a move abroad is one question, but if Wenger were to persuade his man to N5 this January then it would without question be a very, very clever move.
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What about full-backs? At present we're playing the four principal centre-backs because all first-team left and right full backs are injured. What happens if we have a centre-back collapse like last year?????
Just don't forget the likes of some talets of our own who need to be involved too at some stage; the sooner the earlier; the likes of AOC, Frances Coquoline, Emmanuel Frimpong and the list goes on! What is going to happen to these names when we go out in Jan; 2012 and buy in some more players? What does it say about youth development at the Arsenal? We might as well scrap the youth policy, buy in ready-made players regularly and be like Money City & Chelski!!!
Hazard and Benzema…
I really think arsenal needed only two players in the january window so as not to discourage upcoming and hardworking players in the Arsenal rank. First of them is an attacking midfielder and Mario Gotze fits perfectly into that. with his comment that if he leaves Dortmund it will be Arsenal or Barcelona Jersey that he will wear, should push AW to lure him in January to the Emirate Stadium with him having Usmanov backing with his tweet last week “if Arsene Wenger wants Gotze, then we are a go” although he will be cup-tied for our CL campaign but our chances of finishing top and challenging for EPL and FA trophy willl be high (remember Arshavin was cup-tied when we got him?) The second player is an established striker and Podolski is an ideal back up or even pearing with RVP. he can help in the CL and EPL. He has not extended his contract with Cologne yet so we can still snap him up. Another option but which come behind Podolski is Sow. although cup-tied for CL he has a good eyes for goal and very strong too. In AW Arsenal trust but he must convince RVP with top players signing in January else, his case will be like that of Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy, Flamini, etc. AW should note that February has always been a time that Arsenal make or mar their season with injury or tiredness (fatigue) coming on the players after the winter stress.
I am in total agreement with BollyJ – Gotze and Podolski!!! maybe a versatile fullback wouldn't go a miss, one in the mould of Eboue!
shed this x1
fabianski
hoyte djourou squillaci brislen-hall
rosicky eastmond diaby arshavin
chamakh park
and shed this x1
almunia,
hajrovic boateng monteiro botelho
galindo denilson, meade
murphy bendtner, vela
then sign this x1
howard
van der weil cahill vertonghen baines
mvila
gotze hazard
henry podolski soldado
busy but a quality job well done. 22 out and 11 in leaving us with 52 professionals on the books, still too many but natural wastage will occur.
and who are the three superstars??? i don't see any.
Arsena need just two players in January: Gotze and Podolski.