da realbet： A few months ago, Morgan Schneiderlin’s much-speculated move to Arsenal seemed almost inevitable.
da 888casino： We know the Gunners were interested in a deal last summer until Southampton publicly insisted the France international wouldn’t be sold, whilst The Secret Footballer – the reigning champ of in-the-know espionage – claimed in January that the 25-year-old had already agreed a move to the Emirates.
So with the Saints feeling rather obliged to sell after Schneiderlin put his Champions League ambitions on hold to lead a squad undergoing considerable transition with almost immaculate professionalism, many assumed he was one rubber stamp away from officially joining the Gunners this summer.
That could have well been the case, until it was revealed Southampton valued their lofty centre-mid at just shy of £30m, which would have made Schneiderlin the third-most expensive signing in Gunners history after Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
Arsene Wenger reportedly baulked at the price-tag and thus, instead of becoming Arsenal’s latest midfield recruit, the Frenchman is now Michael Carrick’s long-term successor at Manchester United.
Of course, tabloid gossip is one thing; what actually goes on behind the closed doors of Premier League clubs is another. For all we know, Wenger may have never even considered the notion of signing Schneiderlin, let alone for his eventual transfer fee of £25m. But either way, in my opinion, the Gunners gaffer has just made a huge mistake – because Arsenal won’t find another enforcer this summer who has proved firstly, his talent in the Premier League and secondly, his compatibility with their midfield.
The Gunners’ engine room is a rather unique place. Whilst Chelsea, Manchester City and United’s are filled with 6 foot-plus monsters, capable of shoulder barging you from the centre circle to the touchline with one monolithic swing, Arsenal employ pint-sized technicians and playmakers who would be interpreted as No.10s by pretty much any other Premier League club.
Which explains why Arsene Wenger hasn’t spent any money on a bona fide defensive midfielder since Lassana Diarra way back in summer 2007 – and even he managed just seven Premier League appearances before being flogged to Portsmouth six months later. The rest have come from the Gunners’ academy, like Alex Song or Francis Coquelin, signed on free transfers, e.g. Mathieu Flamini, or found themselves shoehorned into the anchoring role, like Mikel Arteta.
Perhaps he has a point; after all, a cumbersome 6 foot 3 warrior of the William Carvalho variety could well clog up Arsenal’s midfield, disrupting their rhythm, tempo and definitive style of technically-demanding build-up play. Nobody wants that; the neutrals enjoy the Gunners’ free-flowing football almost as much as their actual fans.
Yet, Schneiderlin is a rarer breed of enforcer. He’s tall, powerful and averaged the second-most tackles per match, 3.7, of any Premier League player last year; representing precisely what Arsenal lack in midfield compared to other title contenders. But he was also Southampton’s metronome last season, averaging the most passes per match of any player in their squad, and finished up with a pass completion rate of 89%. Only twelve Premier League players, one being Arsenal’s Mathieu Flamini, proved more consistent when moving the ball.
Of course, many of these passes will be simple and sideways, for that is the nature of the nine-cap international’s role. But Schneiderlin is a somewhat silkier player than the likes of Carvalho, Grzegorz Krychowiak or even Spain international Javi Martinez, with a strong first touch, the confidence to turn markers and progressive enough to conjure up nearly one created chance per match last term. In comparison, Flamini made just three chances from 15 league starts. Whilst Schneiderlin may not be blessed with the ability to further improve Arsenal’s build-up play, he’s at the very least compatible with it.
Wenger will undoubtedly point to the rise of Francis Coquelin, a youngster who averaged the most interceptions per match, 3.7, of any player in the division last season, as a reason not to spend big on the former Southampton man. No doubt, the Frenchman’s rapid progress and ability to add discipline to Arsenal’s midfield, starting with that 2-0 win over Manchester City, has been impressive. Likewise, having risen through the club’s academy, there’s no doubting his compatibility with Arsenal’s philosophy.
But in my opinion, investing full faith in a 24 year-old with just 43 Premier League outings under his belt based upon half a season of good form, ahead of a campaign in which the Gunners will be under huge pressure to launch their most viable title charge for the best part of a decade, is an equal, if not greater, risk to spending £25million on an enforcer who has proved his Premier League pedigree over the course of three seasons.
Perhaps most troubling of all is the fact Schneiderlin will be reminding Arsenal of what they missed out on at least twice a year for the foreseeable future, as he joins Louis van Gaal’s all-star Manchester United cast. Should the Red Devils return to the dominance of old whilst the Gunners slump back towards the purgatory of fourth place, Wenger’s election to pass on Schneiderlin might emerge as one of the defining moments.