The answer to Arsenal’s January transfer window prayers
Arsenal’s shortcomings this season have been there for all to see, with the Gunners looking incredibly lightweight and threadbare for a side supposedly tipped to challenge for major honours every year.
For all of their periods of dominance against Manchester United at the weekend, it was a familiar scenario for Arsene Wenger’s side as they failed to take their chances and were eventually overrun in midfield, an area in which - on paper at least - they have a number of options.
Fans’ vociferous responses have underlined that something needs to change and with the January transfer window rapidly approaching, Wenger has the perfect opportunity to do enact that.
While the Frenchman remains coy over what his movements in the winter will be, the club continue to be linked with an array of midfielders, with Real Madrid misfit Sami Khedira prime among them.
The German World Cup winner has seemingly fallen out of favour at the Bernabeu, and while reports of a move to Bayern Munich may hold some weight, he seems to be exactly what Arsenal need. Or is he?
According to latest rumblings in the French press, Monaco’s versatile midfield star Joao Moutinho is making all the noises of a man seeking a move, with Arsenal tipped as a potential beneficiary of his discontent.
The Portuguese international had been strongly linked with a move to England before his mega money switch to the principality, and given the increasing need to replace an ageing Mikel Arteta, his angst could have come at the right moment.
So far this season, Moutinho has operated in an array of positions for Monaco, ranging from deep-lying playmaker, to wideman, to central midfield and it is arguably the latter of these three that is of most use to Arsenal.
Despite the insistence that the Gunners need a robust defensive midfielder, Wenger doesn’t seem interested in altering his set-up to incorporate such a player, so instead the likeliest arrival would be a more central operator.
For this reason alone, Moutinho is therefore an excellent option given the current options available.
Statistically speaking, the Portuguese offers everything required of a central midfielder, from excellent passing accuracy and ball retention (81.9 per-cent accuracy this season, with an average of 85.11 per-cent over the past two years), to chance creation (22 this season, 80 in total during his time at Monaco).
His recent use as a substitute suggests there is some substance to rumours of his discontent at the club, so expect his current valuation of £25m to decrease somewhat.
Now isn’t the time for financial frugality at the Emirates. As Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov recently admitted, there is money in the club, and the club must use it.
In Moutinho, Arsenal could have the ideal investment.
Arsenal fans, do you think would Joao Moutinho be a good signing? Comment below...