Arsene Wenger says he will look to strengthen his Arsenal squad in January, with the priority being a defensive midfielder to cover his current injury problems in the position.
The manager is without his first-choice, Francis Coquelin, for 12 weeks with a medial knee ligament complaint and Mikel Arteta for about a month because of calf damage.
Wenger has turned to Mathieu Flamini to plug the gap and also believes defender Calum Chambers can play there, but, when the winter transfer window opens, he will be on the look-out for a signing, albeit with the usual caveats about it being a difficult time to do business.
“We are in a position where we want to do something,” Wenger said. “If I find the right quality, I will do something.”
Wenger looked puzzled when he was asked about Black Friday, replying: “No, I don’t know what it is” – but he was happier to discuss his love of a bargain.
In his opinion, value on the market is linked directly to quality, which is why he considers Mesut Ozil, the club record £42.5 million (€60.5 million) signing from Real Madrid, who is in top form, to qualify as a bargain.
‘I love a bargain’
“For us, a bargain is to buy players of top quality, because only top quality strengthens our squad,” Wenger said. “I bought Patrick Vieira for £2.5 million (€3.5 million) and it was a top bargain because he was a top quality player. We spent £40 million on Ozil but I still consider it a bargain because the player is top quality. I love a bargain . . .”
Wenger was asked which player makes his team tick now, as Dennis Bergkamp once did. “It’s always the players who play in the final third and give the assists,” he replied. “So you look at the players who give our assists and you will see who does it.
“I think the best assist player at the moment is Ozil but we have many providers. We have Alexis, Ramsey, Cazorla – they are all people who can create chances. You could see Campbell the other night [against Dinamo Zagreb] has given a great assist to Alexis. I think all our players have the technical ability to do that.”
Wenger believes Ozil is in the form of his Arsenal career – he has 11 assists and three goals in all competitions so far this season. “In his first season, there was a lot of scepticism around him,” Wenger said. “The quality of his performances have turned opinions. He now has the support of everybody who loves Arsenal.
“What is interesting about Mesut’s game is that he is not only a provider now. He likes to get on the end of the things. What he has added to his game is the runs into the box. He played before like he was not too much obsessed [by goals] and more by providing. I think he has a much better balance in his game now – giving, assisting and scoring.”
Slight concerns
Wenger is preparing for Sunday’s Premier League visit to Norwich City and he said that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should return to the squad after a month out with hamstring trouble. Alexis Sanchez (hamstring) and Joel Campbell (calf) have had slight concerns but they will be available.
Flamini is confident he can help Arsenal overcome the injuries to Coquelin and Arteta, and thinks an extended run in the side will see him produce his best form. Coquelin has impressed in a defensive midfield role but will be sidelined for three months after picking up a knee injury in Saturday’s loss to West Brom. Arteta will be out for a month after suffering a calf strain in the same game.
Flamini, who is in the last year of his contract, is determined to grab his chance. “The season is always very long so sometimes you have to accept being on the bench but sometimes you have the opportunity to prove you can still play in the Arsenal team,” he was quoted as saying by British media.
“I have an opportunity to be back in the team and I will try to prove every game that I can be in the team.” The 31-year-old conceded it was hard to cope with the demands of playing top-flight soccer but said he was determined to prove he was worth a place in the side. “Can I play twice a week for three months? I think I can but now it is my job to prove it . . .”
Upbeat
“For an athlete, if you don’t play every week, it’s not easy because the more games you have in your legs, the better you become,” he said.
Flamini was upbeat about Arsenal’s chances of advancing past the Champions League group stage for the 16th straight season. The Gunners kept their hopes alive by dispatching Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 on Tuesday and will advance by beating Olympiakos Piraeus on Decemeber 9th by two clear goals. “We definitely can do it, ” he said. – (Guardian Service)
