Wenger planning £7 million swoop for Manchester United utility
With the Arsenal exodus ongoing, it looks as if Arsene Wenger has a tough battle on his hands to hold on to a squad capable of shaping a top-four challenge in the coming season. Gael Clichy and Sebastien Squillaci both look to be on their way out of London, despite the latter hardly being at the club for 10 months. However, Wenger will be hoping that Manchester United defender John O’Shea will be able to fill a number of voids that certainly look to be vacant come August.
O’Shea was linked with a move to Sunderland in June, however the Irishman still feels capable of playing Champions League football and that such a move would be too large of a step down. In that respect, a move to the Gunners could be just what the doctor ordered when considering the short amount of playing time the utility player has been experiencing as of late.
With around £25m being spent on centre-backs in the past two seasons, Arsenal haven’t got a great amount to show for it. As usual Blackburn’s Christopher Samba and Bolton’s Gary Cahill are being associated with the club, however one can’t help but feel that Arsenal’s tight transfer policy will prevent any such big-money signings from coming to fruition. Each defender is rated at around £13m and £20m by their clubs respectively, and despite Stan Kroenke’s promise for cash-injection, these kinds of deals may just prove too pricey.
No matter how much you may love to admire some of the youth the Frenchman has brought into the Arsenal ranks, the time has come for further investment. With new rulings on their way in, huge money transfers will hopefully begin to lessen in the sport and the £100m transfer will never become a reality. So, if Arsenal were ever going to go on a spree, now would be the time. John O’Shea has enjoyed a 12 year stint in Manchester winning 18 trophies in that time. His experience in an Arsenal backline could be invaluable. Let’s just hope he proves more successful than Mikael Silvestre.
