Arsenal legend Thiery Henry has requested Arsene Wenger to build on the team’s encouraging form in Premier League this season by splashing out some money in January.
The World Cup winning Frenchman, who enjoyed his eight years stint with the North Londoners, has now urged Arsenal manager to dip into the upcoming winter transfer market and pointed out exactly how the Gunners boss could improve his squad.
Like it has been often the case in recent years, repeated injuries are threatening to undermine Arsenal’s progress this term also.
The likes of Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Santi Cazorla have all been forced to spend (or spending) considerable time on the sidelines because of injury, while the absence of Arsenal’s midfield enforcer Francis Coquelin has threatened to leave the squad with a somewhat soft underbelly during the Winter months.
However, Henry has also insisted that if the Gunners are planning to make good on their early-season promise, Wenger must bring in a new anchor man from the January transfer market.
“It’s a hard one, because for me right now I think Arsenal’s squad is good enough to win the league,” the legend suggested when speaking to Sky Sports.
“What we need is some backup to make sure we have a guy that can hold the fort if [Mathieu] Flamini gets injured.
“The position would be holding midfielder for me, and with Arsenal they are at the top and the amount of injuries they’ve had is not normal.
“When those guys come back they can be your new signings. But we keep saying that! I will have answered that [question of who they should sign] properly if the whole team was there, but the boss never has everyone available.”
One possible option for Wenger could be another bid for 23-year-old William Carvalho, who was reportedly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium during the summer transfer window. Despite the £35million release clause, Carvalho could be available for £25m in January, if Sporting Lisbon wants to sell the player in the mid of the season.
It is also suggested that Sporting Lisbon can give potential short-term solution for Wenger as Henry mentioned Carvalho’s name but whether he makes a move for the Portuguese in the mid-season or not that has to be seen.
Santi Cazorla is sidelined for around four months, while Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta are both out with knee and calf injuries respectively. Jack Wilshere hasn’t yet recovered from fractured fibula and Aaron Ramsey only just available again after returning from a groin injury, the problems in central midfield have suddenly become more acute.