Diaby could have been one but he is one we can’t rely on hence his switch of squad number. I’m a big fan of Arteta and the role he plays for us, and I’ve searched far and wide and I can’t come up with a name that would do it better, the players close to his level or better(there are a few) are all attached to top clubs. Arteta plays as our deepest midfielder and our play is based on him, his role is called a deep lying player maker, a role Pirlo has made us understand and love. Calls for us needing an out and out defensive midfielder

It is that time of the year where clubs come out to strut their stuff in the transfer market, we have seen clubs go big, some have gone moderate while a lot have cut their coat according to their sizes and gone for players with not so big transfer figures. Who’d blame those though? We are at an era where the market is in real chaos, the Chelsea’s and PSG’s of this world have turned the market upside down, a lot of clubs can’t go toe to toe with them  and if they remotely try to follow their foot-steps they dig themselves into a big hole. Malaga and Portsmouth are testament to this fact.

The transfer window officially opened on July 1st and we have confirmed one signing in French u-21 international Yaya Sanogo. The day he was confirmed a lot of our fans shouted blue murder. At this point in time, majority of our supporters’ patience have thinned, they want to see the marquee signings, they want to see us challenge for top honours, and they have had enough of scraping for 4th place. Understandable, where I’ve a problem is where curses go hand in hand with the things you so crave for.

It is public knowledge that we have quite a hefty sum to spend coupled with the fact that we have released a host of players and loaned out some. Wages have been freed up and finally we can make that splash that majority, if not all have been desperate for.

For a change, we are being linked with top players and not half baked players and I can’t help but smile. Names we constantly hear are Higuain, Fellaini, Rooney, and Suarez. Two out of these 4 would greatly improve and push us into title contenders.

Where do we need to improve on is the real question?  Well, I reckon that it is in attack and midfield we need reinforcement. In attack I talked about the player we need and one I would have no problem with. You should check it out if you haven’t given it a read.

In midfield, we lack an imposing figure, one who has got mobility, a ball carrier, passes good and can add goals to the team. Diaby could have been one but he is one we can’t rely on hence his switch of squad number. I’m a big fan of Arteta and the role he plays for us, and I’ve searched far and wide and I can’t come up with a name that would do it better, the players close to his level or better(there are a few) are all attached to top clubs. Arteta plays as our deepest midfielder and our play is based on him, his role is called a deep lying player maker, a role Pirlo has made us understand and love. Calls for us needing an out and out defensive midfielder are a tad over the top. Arteta needs an able partner, one who is all action, a lot like who Ramsey was at the tail end of the season or someone better. Fellaini has been mentioned and we can agree they complement each other in the pivot position.

Fellaini has a release clause of 23m, to get him we would have to bid that amount. There are other options in Capoue and Kondongbia and I wouldn’t mind either one, they are cheaper and seem more realistic. Some would argue we need someone with PL experience and Fellaini ticks that box. The better player I reckon in the long run would be either of French nationals.

We also can do with a centre-back, to be more convincing we need a centre-back. We have 3 recognised CBs in Per, Koscielny, Vermaelen and a 4th would help in securing depth in that delicate position. Ashley Williams is one name that has been linked with us but in all honesty I can’t see that happening  because it is hard believing he would leave a club that he captains and is a regular starter to a club  where he wouldn’t be a guaranteed starter . The best option is going for someone cheaper, younger and with bags of potential who can fill when needed. Ginter ticks all those boxes and I am hoping we can strike a deal with him and his club if the interest is real.

I have banged on the need for Julio Cesar for months now but with Fabianski looking increasingly likely to stay put I think there’s no real reason to add. If we can’t guarantee the fitness of Fabianski then to be on the safe side we must add and try to sell off Fabianski. I see a very good GK in Fabianski and I would hate to see him languishing in the reserves.

So the real priority for me in this window is in attack and midfield, that would push us to where we want to be as a football club. A centre-back would give us security at the back. 2 – 3 players would be termed a very successful window for me, 1 more signing would be the icing on the cake