Arsenal Transfers: Who Should Be Arsene Wenger's Big Buy This Summer?

It looks like the wait is all set to continue. Just like all the previous seasons, Arsenal’s season is all set to end in disappointment. Arsene Wenger, over the last few seasons, has adopted a policy of extreme frugality in the transfer window.

While his achievements with such a small budget is admirable, the fact of the matter is that a top club like Arsenal needs trophies. He prefers to buy unknown talent and convert them into world class players. To date, his most expensive transfer is Andrei Arshavin for £15 million.

But recent seasons have taught that experience and quality have no substitute. Arsene’s youngsters are some of the most promising in England, and while Arsenal can achieve glory with the current squad, at some point it will always remain incomplete without additions in certain areas. By signing youngsters, Wenger succeeds in laying a strong foundation, but it fails to address the immediate need for improvement.

This season Arsenal lost three defenders during the transfer window: William Gallas, Sol Campbell and Mikael Silvestre. While the former two were good players, the latter was a total liability, and the least Wenger could have done was sold him. Arsenal replaced these defenders with Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci.

His other signing in the transfer window was signing Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer.

One area that will need some shoring up during the transfer window is the defense and the defensive midfield position.

Arsenal have an extremely talented squad, but somewhere during this rebuilding from Wenger, he failed in developing a leader within the squad.  This squad lacks the mentality and drive to win, and signing some experienced campaigners who can strengthen the squad will help to bring trophies to the squad.

A complete upheaval of the squad is not necessary. But it is paramount that Wenger axe the flops and sell players who are not willing to play for the club.

This would include selling off the likes of Denilson, Gael Clichy, Squillaci, Manuel Almunia and Cesc Fabregas if necessary. But when Wenger does sell these players, he should be willing to buy readymade replacements, players who can have an immediate impact on the team.

Wenger adopted his prudent transfer policy as Arsenal were highly in debt after building the Emirates. But now Arsenal are in a much better position financially and do have the funds to sign top players.

Here is a look at the players who Arsene should make a bid to sign in the transfer window.

The last time Arsenal signed an Ajax player it was Thomas Vermaelen. As we all know Vermaelen was a huge hit as the Arsenal faithful took an immediate liking to the Belgian. Jan Vertonghen used to be Vermaelen’s centre back partner at Ajax, and the duo still play together for Belgium.

Arsenal’s current predicament with their current centre backs is a well documented fact as Squillaci is proving to be a liability and a poor transfer from Wenger. Koscielny got off to a poor start at London but has gone from strength to strength as the season as progressed and has put in some great displays alongside Johan Djourou at the heart of the Arsenal defense. But Squillaci, who was initially considered a good bargain buy, is now proving to be a poor player who has no place at a club like Arsenal.

In all possibilities he must be sold next season. That will leave Arsenal with just three full-time experienced centre backs. But Vermaelen has missed all but three matches this season, and Djourou too is injury prone. So Wenger will need to sign at least one good centre back in my opinion with Kyle Bartley all set to make a break into the first team next season.

Vertonghen has established himself as a solid player whose strength lies in his versatility. He is adept at playing at centre back and can even move into the left back position. He can also play in defensive midfield and can play in any left-sided midfield position. For his country he plays predominantly in the midfield position.

Much like Vermaelen, Vertonghen has a ferocious left foot with which he has already scored 25 goals for Ajax. He also enjoys venturing forward often with great effect.

Vertonghen has been heavily linked to the club, and he is one player who I, along with several other Arsenal fans, would love to see at the Emirates. He has all the abilities of a top class defender and can be a great player for the London club.

His height, speed and strength make him a real force in defense. He is also heavily experienced at the top player and would be a great addition to the club. His experience and leadership will come in handy next season, and Wenger should go out and sign him before other teams make an attempt.

Every club needs a tall, dominating defender, and Neven Subotic can be that man for the Gunners. A couple of seasons back, he was heavily linked to the club, but a transfer never materialized. This season, Borussia Dortmund has taken everyone by surprise and has dominated the German Bundesliga comprehensively having established a seven-point lead with just six games to go.

Subotic has proven himself to be a dominating force in the air which is hardly a surprise considering his height. He stands at an impressive 1.93m.

He has formed an extremely impressive partnership with Matt Hummels at the heart of the Dortmund defense, and together they have conceded a mere 17 goals in 28 games.

In recent seasons, Wenger has bought small, nimble defenders, but signing Subotic would be a welcome break from that pattern. Subotic is a dominant force in the air and is a real beast.

Arsenal will face some stiff competition from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City if they wish to sign this promising Serbian defender.

Ever since the departure of Patrick Vieira, Arsenal have lacked a defensive midfielder who had real quality. Alex Song silenced all his critics and has blossomed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the league over the last couple of seasons.

Sadly however for the Gunners, he lacks an able deputy who can play during his absence. Denilson is arguably one of the worst players in the current Arsenal squad. Abou Diaby is not suited to the defensive midfield role and is injured more than half the time.

This season was all set to be the year Emmanuel Frimpong broke into the first team, and he showed real promise during the preseason matches. But sadly for him and the club, an injury has kept him out of the entire season. The injury will surely move back his foray into the first team. He has immense potential, but now he will definitely take some time before he can fight for a first team place.

Other players who Arsenal have in the defensive midfielder position are Craig Eastmond and Francis Coquelin. But they are fairly inexperienced on the big stage and cannot be relied on to deliver the goods next season.

During the absence of Song, there has been a void in the Arsenal midfield, and the Gunners have struggled in his absence. All this means that Arsenal desperately require a defensive midfielder.

Now, Scott Parker is one player many would love to see at the Emirates. But frankly, that transfer is never going to happen.

He has plenty of quality but sadly is over 30, and hence, Wenger will most likely not sign him.

But there are plenty of other players who can replace Song during his absence. One of them is Blaise Matuidi. He is currently the vice captain of French side AS Saint-Étienne. He was widely linked to Arsenal in 2009, and Arsenal sent their scout to check him out. Despite being recommended to Arsene Wenger, the transfer never happened.

Matuidi has established himself as a combative defensive midfielder with an exceptional tacking ability. Matuidi, like several other Arsenal players, is not an imposing physical presence, but what he lacks in stature, he makes up with athleticism and strong and powerful tackling. He is a good passer of the ball and can play in a more attacking role. But his preference is in the defensive midfielder role.

He has the ability to fit into the Arsenal style of play. Arsene Wenger is known for unearthing French players, and he could well prove to be another French gem signed by Wenger.

With Gael Clichy refusing to commit his future to Arsenal, Arsenal in all possibilities will have to sign another left back in the summer transfer window. Arsenal have other players like Kieran Gibbs and Armand Traore who are capable of playing in this position.

But Gibbs’ career has been blighted by injuries, and he has not managed to soar the great heights he was expected to soar this season. Time is on his side and he can still fulfill his potential, but he is far from the finished good Arsenal require.

Traore’s future with the club is uncertain as well, having spent the season on loan at Juventus. Wenger in such situations has a tendency to stick onto players like Gibbs and not sign a readymade replacement. Often it affects the team badly doing more harm than good.

So in a situation in which Clichy leaves, Arsenal should look to sign Everton’s Leighton Baines. Baines has been brilliant for Everton this season and has been one of the league’s most consistent left backs.

Baines’ strength lies in going forward. He is a good dribbler of the ball and more importantly can put in pin-point crosses into the box. His set up for the Beckford goal against Chelsea is a perfect example of this.

This season only Nani has provided more assists than him, and along with Arshavin and Wayne Rooney, he has provided 11 assists. This is an extremely impressive stat for a defender. He has also scored three goals this season, which for a full back is no mean feat.

One of the common complaints against Arsenal defenders is that they don’t cross the ball often enough. Signing Baines would provide plenty of crosses for the likes of Nicklas Bendtner and Chamakh to attack and can provide these two players with the platform to thump in the headers.

With the future of Andrei Arshavin far from certain and with the performance of Tomas Rosicky getting worse with each match, Arsenal may have a shortage of wingers next season. Eden Hazard could prove to be the answer to their problems.

If Arshavin does move away from the Emirates, there is no better person to replace him other than Hazard when it comes to talent and potential. Hazard, during his time at Lille, has established himself as one of the world’s most promising talents so much so that he has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He has already established himself as an integral part of the Lille lineup, and over the course of the last three seasons, he has made 128 appearances for the French club, scoring 26 and assisting in 19 others. Lille are currently on top of the French league, and his performances are part of the reason for their rise to the top.

While Arsenal does have plenty of creativity up front, signing a player of Hazard’s quality will do a world of good. Arshavin and Rosicky may leave and even if they don’t they are hardly getting any younger. Top players like Zinedine Zidane too have come out in praise of this young talent.

He is currently only 20, and moving to a club like Arsenal will help of improve and develop further in his career.

Hazard would prove to be a great buy for the future and has an exceptional future ahead of him.

Every top club needs a striker who can guarantee them 20 goals a season.

Arsenal have three forwards presently: Robin van Persie, Marouane Chamakh and Nicklas Bendtner. If current rumors are to be believed then it looks all set to become two with Nicklas Bendtner most likely to move away from the Emirates.

Now, there is no denying that both Chamakh and Van Persie are extremely talented, but the question is can they guarantee 20 goals a season for the Gunners? Sadly, it looks like they can’t.

Van Persie unfortunately spends as much time on the treatment table as off it. He averages around 30 matches all season in every competition. If he was fit, he would easily guarantee them 20 goals a season.

Chamakh on the other hand has already scored 11 goals in his first season, but only one has come since November. He did adjust into the pace of the league but has admitted that since November, he has been burnt down. Chamakh is aerially an extremely potent threat, but his finishing has been suspect, and he has failed to bury chances that a more prolific and clinical player would have put away with ease.

All this means that Arsenal need to sign a striker who can stay fit and score the goals for them. Robin van Persie is one of the league’s most talented players, and when fit, he would be guaranteed a place in the starting lineup. So when Wenger is signing a player, he must preferably look for a player who can play in the wings as well.

Kevin Gameiro of Lorient may just be that man.

He is currently second in the goals chart having notched up 16 goals already this season in the league.

He is relatively injury free, having missed just five games in the last two seasons, and he is currently racking up the goals in France. Despite his relatively light frame, he is a potent dribbler of the ball and is fast with the ball in his feet. Also, he is comfortable moving into the wings and can even play in the hole.

But if the Gunners do wish to sign him, they will have to fight off competition from the likes of Bordeaux, Valencia and rivals Tottenham Hotspurs who have all expressed interest in the forward.

But Arsenal’s French influence and the opportunity of Champions League football could entice the young forward to move to the Emirates.

For the past three years, Giorgio Chiellini has won the Serie A defender of the year. He is exactly the kind of defender, Arsenal have been missing all this time. He is a solid defender and is easily one of the best in the world right now.

He is highly experienced at the top level for Juventus and would bring something that Arsenal have been lacking all this while, leadership. Arsenal’s lack of a proper leader on the pitch has been badly exposed in recent weeks, and signing Chiellini would be a double boost for Wenger and his side.

Not only does Wenger add a classy defender to his ranks, one that can have an immediate impact on this Arsenal side, but he will also add some much needed experience and leadership to this mentally fragile Arsenal side.

With Juventus looking all set to even miss out an Europa League spot, Wenger can tempt the Italian to move to England. Over the last few years, Wenger has refused to sign experienced and established campaigners.

But signing Chiellini would be a great transfer, as it would not only strengthen the squad to no end, but it also sends out the right message that Arsenal mean business and shows positive intent from the Gunners’ boss.

In my opinion, it is almost a certainty that Wenger will sign a defender this summer. If he fails to do so, then his time as Arsenal manager is definitely up.

Wenger’s youth policy is a great vision, and it has given Arsenal several rewards. Unlike many fans, I believe that Wenger should stay at Arsenal for at least another season. I also believe that he should persist with his current youth policy and at the same time should sign some talented players in positions where it is required in order to give the squad the right mix of youth and experience.

This would be great for both the club and its fans and would aid in their quest for glory.

Out of all these players, I would prefer either Chiellini or Vertonghen when it comes to the defense, but I am going with Vertonghen because of his versatility that enables him to be used in a variety of positions. He used to have a fantastic partnership with Vermaelen, and the two of them together at the heart of the Arsenal defense is a sight that all Arsenal fans would enjoy.

Arsenal looked prime candidates to sign Sakho from PSG, but he extended his contract recently which buries possibilities of that move. So Wenger I believe should go for Matuidi. But if Frimpong is perfect after his injury and is ready to play consistent first team football next season, then Wenger needn’t spend the money on the player in the summer transfer window.

Wenger also has Coquelin who has impressed at Lorient and signing Vertonghen would give cover for the defensive midfield post.

Wenger may not sign Hazard but he has been heavily linked with the club and if Arsenal do sell a few midfielders then they will have to sign him. If Clichy does depart, Wenger would have to sign Baines or a suitable replacement for the Frenchman.

Gameiro is another transfer that would do a world of good for the club but if Vela starts to fulfill his potential at West Brom, Wenger may just be tempted to keep the cash in his pocket.

In my opinion, the club should axe all the flops and at the same time sign around three to four solid players in order to make them a real force on the European and domestic front.