Out with the old, In with the new

By all indications this could be a very busy summer for Arsenal as they try to finish an overhaul of the squad that began last summer. While a lot of players could not be sold, underperforming ‘driftwood’ was sent out on loan for season long deals. Youngsters who no longer were considered in a place to make it were cut free. Combined with the sales of Fabregas and Nasri and the deadline deals last summer, the club had a different feel about almost immediately.

Well, what was started last summer, looks like it will continue this year. This time however players deemed surplus to requirements will be shipped out and sent on their merry way. Secondly, new contracts will be offered to players whom the club wishes to resign and then finally additional players will be found to help improve the squad. By the time the summer is over a lot players fans often gripe about will likely be gone.  We’re going to to take a look at that and speculate about who is likely to come in.

But before any of that the first step in the process has to be an overhaul of the wage system that does more to pay players  not for what they are worth but because they have displayed a modicum of talent. The current wage system is what has made it hard to sell the likes of Manuel Almunia and Sebastien Squilaci. These two players alone or emblematic of what is wrong with the wage structure, two players who are clearly not Premier League quality, getting paid weekly wages that put them on the lower tier of high paid wage earners.

All reports are that Arsenal are going through an ongoing process of revising their wage structure. Internally, they have admitted its an issue but it will take a few years to reset and create a system that pays based on performance. But at least they know they’ve gone about it wrong and are set to fix it.

So, I think the easy place to start is to speculate on who is leaving. I mean that’s a pretty easy list to put together. There are certainly a large selection of players to chose from. Whether or not Arsenal can do something to  move all of these players is questionable, but all indications are that most of these players will be out of the club either by sale or season long loan.

Likely to Go Out:

First thing I need to mention, all these figures are pure speculation. We don’t know exactly what each player makes per week and what their actual transfer value is. We have used the speculative numbers on weekly salaries that have been floating around there as well as the transfer value as listed by Transfer Markt.

Anyway, as you can see should Arsenal clear out the dead wood (so to speak)and the incoming transfer payments, the savings on salaries, combined with what is anticipated to be the summer kitty (approx £40-£60 million before any sales) would allow for substantial business to be done and new contracts to be offered to players the club want to tie up.

Obviously if you free up £25 million or so in contracts then that can be used effectively to entice new signings and reward those players that deserve deals – like a certain Dutch forward and a certain English winger. With a revised wage structure being worked on new signings can be enticed with salaries that make Arsenal attractive and competitive (to an extent) with clubs that pay based on merit not to build an atmosphere as equals.  But they aren’t equals and frankly players should be paid and compensated for their level of skill and their value to the club. As much as I like Kieran Gibbs  no way in hell should he be making what Theo Walcott makes (or close to it).

It’s time for Arsenal to move forward (there’s that saying again) and pay their players what they are worth. As this clear out chart demonstrates and we all knew (speculated) it’s not the case. It’s time for Arsenal to revise it’s principles. It is a great thing in this day and age to be a viable, strong financial business – but their business is also Sport and that requires a different mentality. One that is based on winning and merit. We should do that without sacrificing our core business principle of ensuring the financial viability of the club, but it can be done and you need look no further than Germany and Borussia Dortmund to see that IT can be done.

It’s funny we should mention Germany right? As that seems to be where some of our transfer activity for the summer could be taking place.  The successful transfer of Per Mertesacker and his acclimation to the Premier League has hopefully done something I had hoped we would’ve done years ago. RAID THE GERMANS. In Germany you have young, skilled, talented players, who are cheap in terms of transfer fees. Given what they make even our faulty wage structure would be better than what they make in Germany.

But its just not Germany where we are linked with players. We also are linked with players in France (of course), Holland and Italy. I’m never one to include focus much on our links to Italian players simply because its not a league we typically pull players from. But hey neither was Germany.

So who’s coming in?

Again I need to reiterate that for the most part these transfers are pure speculation. Only the impending transfer deal for Lukas Podolski looks like a done deal.  We looked in detail at Podolski in our piece “Prince Poldi to Arsenal” We’ll spare you the details of praising him further but suffice it to say if the deal is done it would mark a significant change in Arsenal policy and also show they are trying hard to not to repeat the mistakes of last summer.

So who else is likely to come in?

Right now the big speculation is on Rennes Midfielder Yann M’Vila. M’Vila, a product of the Rennes youth academy burst into the scene when he was integral to the club’s academy winning the 2008 Coupe Gambardella and was featured in the French international set-up in the U16 through U21 levels. (06 – 09).  Since breaking into Ligue 1 and getting his first senior cap from Laurent Blanc, the french midfielder is constantly linked with a spot in the starting XI for France.

M’Vila is a sturdy midfielder who is strong in challenges and fears no-one when it comes to making a tackle. He boasts a fantastic work-rate but is by no means just about lumbering physicality. For someone of his age he has superb vision and can be instrumental in building-up attacks from the back.

If there are weaknesses to his game it’s that he does tend to struggle against speedy players and his eye for the goal is shall we say very poor.

Where Arsenal see M’Vila playing is up for discussion and speculation but in my opinion he is the first true player who could be heir-apparent to Patrick Vieira. He would definitely move both Frimpong and Coquelin down a peg.

Another name mentioned for Arsenal is Anderlecht’s Mathias Suarez. The Anderlecht player is getting a lot of looks from a few teams and Arsenal are one of them. There was heavy speculation that a January move could materialize but the player nixed that. Still rumours persist that Arsenal have already agreed to terms with the player and club (the reliable L’Equipe is one of those outlets) and just the paper work needs to be done.

He’s a versatile player that can play on the wings or through the midfield.  The Belgian player of the year for 2011, Suarez would be a great addition to club considering the abject failure of both Marouane Chamakh and Park Ju-Young. Simply put Suarez can score. He is the 3rd leading scorer in the Europa Cup and has 10 goals this season for Anderlecht. In other words he would be a better option for us than the two aforementioned slouches.

The other name that is getting a lot of play is Ajax’s central defender Jan Vertonghen. The Belgian CB was teammates at Ajax with Vermaelen and plays with him in the Belgian set up.  The versatile defender (can play CB, FB and DM), has made no secret of the fact that Arsenal are one of his preferred teams to play for.

“Arsenal are a magnificent club and I hear a lot of good things about English football. If a club of Arsenal’s calibre can reach agreement with Ajax, then I will gladly go over,” he recently said.

This is a player who is almost identical in style of play and mental makeup to Thomas Vermaelen. He is a very determined player and is as strong as an ox. Vertonghen is a formidable opponent to opposition forwards. He is strong in the air and like his former Ajax compatriot anticipates and deals with danger well. His biggest weakness is that unlike Vermaelen he is subject to some positional issues which has caused him to make mistakes.

Finally the other name often quoted in the press is Montpellier Olivier Giroud. You didn’t expect that M’Vila would be our only target from France did you?

During his first season in Ligue 1 he scored 12 goals and was one of the reason’s Montpellier finished mid-table finish and were in a cup final. Giroud is is one of the darlings of the French media right now and is linked at a lot of places, especially Arsenal

At 6’4” 194 pounds the forward is good in the air and prolific in front of goal. But he also possess speed and agility and good foot skills.  That makes him the perfect kind of guy to either give Robin Van Persie a spell or work along side him.

In addition to these players, other players like Shalke’s Lewis Holtby  and Blackburn’s Justin Hoilett and a few others round out the speculation in terms of who is coming in. There is still room for improvement and as John Cross speculates in a recent Mirror article, Arsenal really are a few players away from contending with United and City for the title. I know it’s always the case but there is something that tells me this year (I am ever the optimist aren’t I) will be different.

Until next time. . . Stay Goonerish!!!