I wake up this morning getting ready for my shift with Sports Mole and see that someone on the site has covered the story that Arsenal are reportedly after Didier Drogba.
Apparently we’ve already made numerous official enquiries about the former Chelsea man who haunted us for years.
Really?
I just can’t see it. I’d love it, but I just can’t see this being anything more than a rumour.
The story goes that Shanghai Shenhua’s boardroom power struggle dispute could drive the Ivorian away from the Chinese outfit after just a few months in Asia.
The club is in danger of not being able to afford their top players’ wages which could result in Drogba and Nicolas Anelka becoming free agents.
In my eyes, he would be a hit at the Gunners.
He clearly still has the talent after winning the Champions League final by himself for Chelsea and is jacked with Premier League experience.
Drogba has been ripping our defence apart ever since he came to England, and it would be nice to see him do that for us rather than against us for once.
He is a proven goalscorer in English football and, until Giroud and Podolski settle and start finding the net, he would be perfect in helping us replace Robin van Persie’s goals for this year.
Now I hate to rain on your parades, but there are a number of reasons as to why the Drog simply won’t be coming to the Emirates Stadium.
Firstly, the whole reason why he might leave Shanghai in the first place is because they simply cannot pay his substantially high wages.
Drogba is reported to be on over £200,000 a week at the China outfit and was looking for the last big payout of his career when he joined them.
You can’t seriously tell me that Arsenal would be willing to splash that sort of cash to sign a player of his age?
Which brings me to my next point; his age.
At 34, Drogba isn’t getting any younger and Arsene Wenger is stubborn enough when it comes to players ages hence his one-year contract policy for those over 30.
The Professor just brought in a 27-year-old Podolski and a 25-year-old Giroud as well as loaning out a 24-year-old Nicklas Bendtner.
I can’t see Wenger going out and throwing mass funds at a 34-year-old who doesn’t have too much more to offer his employers.
A shame I know, he is a great player who would definitely improve us rather than hinder us but this just won’t happen.
Surely not…
Matt Cotton
On all fronts you are very correct. This deal, if the rumor is true, will not click.