Transfer Special: 10 players that could make a difference.

‘No, I have not found anyone special yet and I have not seen anyone special yet’

Now Arsene, we’ve heard that little pearler before, and instead of arguing it… most of us just accept it as gospel.

My brother used to do a similar thing when trying to find a job way back when…

‘You found a job John?’

‘No Mum, there aren’t any about…’

Football over the park on weekdays and free board had nothing to do with the lack of job opportunities…!

I feel the Arsenal recruitment situation is similar. Wenger tells us he is looking for players, because it is what we want to hear… if he doesn’t sign anyone he can tell us he tried but there wasn’t anyone special enough. How laughable is that? That is like telling your partner you didn’t get them a Christmas present because you couldn’t find a gift special enough!

Well my friends, I can take this poppycock no longer!

I’ve decided to take on the might of Arsenal’s 400 strong scouting network using only my laptop (standard issue) and googles very own search engine…

Task: Find players that could make a difference to the current setup.

Limitations: They must be attainable.

I now bring you the results of my 2 hour and 14 minute study:

One to watch, Santacroce

Fabiano Santacroce: Never heard of him? Well… you never seem to with Italian players until they are lining up in a feared defence. This guys name has been doing to rounds on the Italian forums for a while now… he is of Brazilian heritage, 22 years old and he is playing for Napoli. Some sites have described him as a monster, others a beast… those are terms I like to hear when talking about a defender. He is on the radar of all the big Italian clubs… so why not nip in their and sign him from under their noses?

Available?

Brede Hangeland: Fulham’s big centre back has been attracting interest from some of Europe’s elite clubs this season. At 27 he is the right age to make a winning career move. He ain’t winning awards for his beautiful passing moves, but he’ll put his head on anything and he knows how to defend a set piece. Brede was an inspired signing by Roy Hodgson back in January and he helped keep Fulham up… he is the Norway team captain and he scored against us earlier in the year. I think he could solidify our defence in January and lessen the impact of Gallas leaving… he could even compliment Gallas if he decided to stay… I doubt the money asked for him would be out of our range and he isn’t cup tied.

A 6ft 5 defender in our ranks for a relative pittance… we can but dream!

Xavi

Xavi: Tough tackling Barca allround super midfielder Xavi is currently stalling on a new deal with Barca (I haven’t read anything to the contrary). At 28 he feels he is not being treated with enough respect by the Barca hierarchy and has threatened to leave if his demands are not met. His contract expires in 2010 and if this issue lingers any longer… Barca maybe forced into a quick fire sale. The signing of a player like Xavi would lift the fans and the players… he could really help push Arsenal onto another level… at his age, surely its the perfect time to have a crack at a foreign league?

So good he's still on a free!

Stephen Appiah: The guy just can’t seem to get a deal… but as the captain of Ghana, there must be some quality there… He is 28 years old and a bit of a journey man, but he knows his position well and he is pretty athletic. Surely he can’t be worse than Song?

Diarra

Diarra: No, not dolphin head… I am talking about the Beast of Mali… Mahamadou Diarra. He has lost his place this season to young upstart Gago. This has pretty much left him surplus to requirements and with Ramos looking to sign his Pompey namesake… could it be a good time to make an enquiry? You don’t suddenly become a bad £26million player do you (Veron excluded)? The guy is 27, 6ft tall and a winner… he is also injured at the moment… but that would only make him more appealing, right Arsene?

Forgotten man?

Yoann Gourcuff: Ok, this guy tore Chelsea a new arsene hole a few weeks ago and is currently on the books with Milan. I don’t think Milan will want to keep him and I am not sure he has the ability to break into their team with the current talent they boast. He is a 6ft 1 attacking midfielder who can play out wide on the left or down the middle… he can shoot with both feet, and boy does he have a shot! He has been attracting the interest of Bayern… he will decide his future in May and if rumours are to be believed, we’ve always shown an interest in the man they call, ‘Petit Zizou’. Hey… who was the last 20 something failure we picked up from Milan on the cheap…?

Podolski

Lukas Podolski: The stocky, powerful Bayern Munich winger is available for about £10million this winter. He is a proven goal scorer and we’ve apparently been in for him before plus… he will be hungry to prove to Bayern that they were wrong to let him go. A German with a point to prove… I like the sound of that!

Owen at any point in the last 5 years

Owen: Once, he was the most feared striker in Europe. His pace and eye for goal marked him out for stardom from an early age. Owen has slightly tarnished his reputation by moving to a second rate club but one thing is for sure… his finishing is still there and he is a big name. Would Wenger take a risk on Owen if there was no fee involved… well, he took a risk on Franny Jeffers for £10million and he was a crock…

A handsome devil

Ivica Olic: This guy was officially the fastest player at the Euro’s this summer. He can play up front or out wide on the left. He is 27 years old and he is available on a free transfer this summer. His goal record is pretty impressive as well, he has bagged 25 goals in 66 games for Hamburg. He is fast, skillful and very aggressive. I think he has many of the credentials Arsene looks for in a player. Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Juve are all rumoured to be interested in his signature this summer.

… and finally…

Funny, yet talented

Antonio Cassano: The guy has had his ups and downs with his weight and discipline, but one thing that can’t be denied is his talent. Wenger is an expert at dealing with naughty footballers and if there was one footballer on the planet worth taming (Bar Adriano) it is this guy. Ok, so I don’t really believe much of what I just wrote in that last paragraph, I just wanted you to read this story here.

“Sex plus food: a perfect night”

What a line.

So, there is the list my nights work produced… a list of players that are available, that possess enough quality to play for Arsenal and that are all pretty much within our price range. If I can do that in a couple of hours… surely the 400 scouts on Arsenal’s books can come up with 2 players worth purchasing or that at least merit the tag, ‘special’.

So, what do you think? Who are your suggestions? Let us know in the comments section!

Tomorrow, Geoff will be delivering the match preview!

Merry Saturday Grovers!

P.S. I have 2 club level tickets available for tomorrows Liverpool game… drop me a mail if you are interested in the pair (£210).