Alex Song Transfer: How Selling Talented Midfielder Impacts Gunners' Chances

Alex Song's departure from Arsenal isn't drawing the same kind of interest/hatred as Robin van Persie's, but it is going to be just as detrimental on the pitch. 

The reaction is not surprising. There were all kinds of factors which made RvP going to Manchester United especially painful, but with the announcement of Song bolting to Barcelona coming just days later, it is more than Arsenal's success can withstand. 

In case you missed it, Arsenal confirmed the Song deal on their website, and Mirror Football filled us in with some of the details. 

BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal have agreed a £15m fee with Barcelona for Alex Song.

— MirrorFootball (@MirrorFootball) August 18, 2012

This is going to have a negative impact on the squad for a myriad of reasons. In his time with the Gunners, Song, 24, began to fulfill his potential and became a fixture in the starting 11.

He is a natural and talented passer, with the athleticism to provide strong defense. While he was still prone to lapses, which limited his defensive effectiveness, these were growing far more infrequent as he matured.

Now the Gunners have to replace this skill set, which is something that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger tells us they have ample choices to help them accomplish. Wenger, as quoted by the Press Association:

"Midfield is a different area because we have nine or 10 midfielders of top-class quality. Just today we have six or seven midfielders available, plus (Jack) Wilshere and (Emmanuel) Frimpong who are coming back. (Abou) Diaby is available again, (Mikel) Arteta,(Santi) Cazorla, (Aaron) Ramsey, (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain now plays central midfield—this is an area we have much more freedom to make decisions."

There is no arguing that they certainly have the bodies to replace Song. The problem is that none of these replacements are going to provide the same offensive spark combined with physicality on defense that Song brought. 

This will directly lead to poorer on-pitch performance for Arsenal, but that is just part of the problem. 

The other factor at play here is Song is the second major sale made by Arsenal just prior to the new EPL campaign. 

This sends a terrible message to the team, as it is far too easy to question the Gunners' hunger for winning. This kind of thing has a trickle-down effect in an organization, and it is going to lead to a long season for Arsenal.