Evening everyone.
After days of nothing in terms of actual news regarding Arsenal, I woke up today to discover Carlos Vela will return to Arsenal next season.
While I cannot say I was shocked by this news, having seen all and sundry linking the Mexican to the Gunners for the last week or so, I definitely was surprised.
You can see the benefits of this deal, no doubt about that. The striker is in his prime years and at the top of his game. Having found the net 16 times and assisted 12 for Real Sociedad this season, the 25-year-old may seem like a catch. He's formed a good partnership with Griezmann, and this can also be a benefit, as Griezmann is named among our potential targets. On top of all that Arsenal get to enjoy this transfer for a mere £3.5 million, thanks to a buy-back clause they've included in Vela's contract three years ago. Some clubs would have paid around £20 million to acquire the services of the Mexican (Atletico?).
But then again, I think there's a shining hole in the grand plan. Vela didn't succeed while he was with us, why should he now? For instance, would he be able to adapt to the physicality of British football again, having spent three years playing a completely different kind of football?
There's also the question of where exactly the Mexican fits in. I cannot see him deployed on the flank, for example. Whom will he push down the pecking order? If we stick to the scheme we've been using for God-knows-how-long (probably, since 2006), we'll play with a lone striker up top and two flank players. Assuming Walcott won't make it in time for the beginning of the new campaign (and he most likely won't), we still have a plethora of players there. Oxlade, Cazorla, Podolski, even Wilshere.
When fit, Cazorla is a regular starter. I think the same may apply to Oxlade. If Arsene thinks it's time for a breaktrough from the Englishman, he'll play the Ox at every opportunity, ahead of Vela. Even if it's not the case and Oxlade will be used sparingly, I don't think Wenger will prefer Vela to Podolski.
Of course, these are all half-chances for the Mexican. Yes, Cazorla is a regular, but everyone else is not.
Problem is, Vela is not at his best on the flank. His abilities are better deployed more centrally, but again he faces stiff competition. He won't be able to play under the striker, while Ozil and Cazorla are fit, but the idea of him acting as the spearhead seems equally far-fetched.
Whom will he surpass? Giroud? Unlikely. For all his shortcomings, Giroud is an established striker, integral to our style of play. The idea of Arsene dropping Giroud to play Vela as first-choice is, frankly, laughable.
The only place I see Vela fitting into our line-up is as a second striker. Wenger showed willingness to revert to a 4-4-2 at times this season and Vela may become that partner for Giroud.
But again there are questions. While Sanogo is the least of my worries (though not the least of Arsene's, I imagine), how about that world-class striker we all want? For example, Ancelotti has said Morata is available. Should we purchase the Spaniard, will it be so he can sit on the bench and watch Vela play? I think it will be the other way around. I'm not even sure Giroud will keep his place in the starting eleven, in case we succeed in bringing Morata in.
For now, Vela looks a decent option from the bench, a substitute for Bendtner (don't laugh). If he joins, he'll likely do so to make us look better number-wise, rather than provide that immediate impact playing week in, week out.
That's it for today. Sorry, it's a bit short, but not much else is happening. However, you can read on our potential targets here, if you feel like it. Try it, it's really worth your while.
Until later
After days of nothing in terms of actual news regarding Arsenal, I woke up today to discover Carlos Vela will return to Arsenal next season.
While I cannot say I was shocked by this news, having seen all and sundry linking the Mexican to the Gunners for the last week or so, I definitely was surprised.
You can see the benefits of this deal, no doubt about that. The striker is in his prime years and at the top of his game. Having found the net 16 times and assisted 12 for Real Sociedad this season, the 25-year-old may seem like a catch. He's formed a good partnership with Griezmann, and this can also be a benefit, as Griezmann is named among our potential targets. On top of all that Arsenal get to enjoy this transfer for a mere £3.5 million, thanks to a buy-back clause they've included in Vela's contract three years ago. Some clubs would have paid around £20 million to acquire the services of the Mexican (Atletico?).
But then again, I think there's a shining hole in the grand plan. Vela didn't succeed while he was with us, why should he now? For instance, would he be able to adapt to the physicality of British football again, having spent three years playing a completely different kind of football?
There's also the question of where exactly the Mexican fits in. I cannot see him deployed on the flank, for example. Whom will he push down the pecking order? If we stick to the scheme we've been using for God-knows-how-long (probably, since 2006), we'll play with a lone striker up top and two flank players. Assuming Walcott won't make it in time for the beginning of the new campaign (and he most likely won't), we still have a plethora of players there. Oxlade, Cazorla, Podolski, even Wilshere.
When fit, Cazorla is a regular starter. I think the same may apply to Oxlade. If Arsene thinks it's time for a breaktrough from the Englishman, he'll play the Ox at every opportunity, ahead of Vela. Even if it's not the case and Oxlade will be used sparingly, I don't think Wenger will prefer Vela to Podolski.
Of course, these are all half-chances for the Mexican. Yes, Cazorla is a regular, but everyone else is not.
Problem is, Vela is not at his best on the flank. His abilities are better deployed more centrally, but again he faces stiff competition. He won't be able to play under the striker, while Ozil and Cazorla are fit, but the idea of him acting as the spearhead seems equally far-fetched.
Whom will he surpass? Giroud? Unlikely. For all his shortcomings, Giroud is an established striker, integral to our style of play. The idea of Arsene dropping Giroud to play Vela as first-choice is, frankly, laughable.
The only place I see Vela fitting into our line-up is as a second striker. Wenger showed willingness to revert to a 4-4-2 at times this season and Vela may become that partner for Giroud.
But again there are questions. While Sanogo is the least of my worries (though not the least of Arsene's, I imagine), how about that world-class striker we all want? For example, Ancelotti has said Morata is available. Should we purchase the Spaniard, will it be so he can sit on the bench and watch Vela play? I think it will be the other way around. I'm not even sure Giroud will keep his place in the starting eleven, in case we succeed in bringing Morata in.
For now, Vela looks a decent option from the bench, a substitute for Bendtner (don't laugh). If he joins, he'll likely do so to make us look better number-wise, rather than provide that immediate impact playing week in, week out.
That's it for today. Sorry, it's a bit short, but not much else is happening. However, you can read on our potential targets here, if you feel like it. Try it, it's really worth your while.
Until later