Will Arsenal make this man their top summer priority?

Mahamadou Diarra could be picked up relatively cheaply if Arsenal feel he the defensive midfielder would be the right playerHe may not have been in Jose Mourihno’s Real Madrid plans but Monaco’s defensive midfielder Mahamadou Diarra could be the answer to Arsenal’s inexperience in the midfield area. Many will argue that with the North London club are already “looking good” in that area with Alex Song and Denilson, that a defensive midfielder of his calibre is not needed, one would also suggest that at 29 years old, he is at an age that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger would not see young enough to sign.

Diarra left Real Madrid for Monaco after Mourinho, perhaps strangely, preferred the Germany international Sami Khedira but the player is one that is respected as a defensive midfielder and he has picked up over 60 caps for his country Mali.

Whilst to an extent Song, Denilson and perhaps Wilshere will do for the moment, the next few weeks will ultimately tell whether Diarra should be an Arsenal target next summer. The fixture list for Arsenal is growing and over the last five seasons this particular time of the year has seen Arsenal knocked out of many competitions either due to tiredness from too many fixtures and ultimately a lack of strength in depth.

The price for Mahamadou Diarra will not be as expensive as he has been, with figures previously reaching between £20m-£35m and with Wenger’s contacts at Monaco it would seem likely that a generous price for the player could be agreed.

Whilst Diarra is not the goal scoring type that perhaps Chelsea’s Michael Essien is, he would certainly fit into the team well and with the likes of Samir Nasri, Andrey Arshavin and Robin van Persie able to turn on the heat at will, it will only be his defensive and passing abilities that would be required.

Arsenal are beginning to look like top long term unit but one cannot help but think that a little experience in a few positions will help knit things together nicely for the Emirates club.

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