da dobrowin： We’re far enough into the season now that we can begin to evaluate which signings have worked for which teams and which new recruits haven’t quite made the grade. Of course, foreign players often need time to adjust and establish themselves in the Premier League, so any criticism of players thus far should be viewed in that light. Arsene Wenger made three major signings over the summer – two defenders and one striker. Wenger’s a man renowned for his player knowledge and his eye for a good signing. Are this summer’s signings further evidence of his genius?
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Sebastien Squillaci
Arsenal picked up Squillaci for about £3 million this summer after their defender exodus saw them in need of cover in defensive areas. At the moment he seems to be the third choice centre-back, but with Vermaelen sidelined by a troublesome injury, Squillaci has had plenty of game time so far this season. Squillaci has all the qualities required from a defender at the top level. He’s strong in the air, powerful and good in one-on-one situations. More importantly for Arsenal, he’s 30 years old and has been around the block with Monaco, Lyon and Sevilla and can provide the Gunners with something they are often claimed to lack: experience. This comes across in his calm and measure performances on the pitch. Apart from a mistake against Chelsea, Squillaci hasn’t put a foot wrong. As covering defenders go, Squillaci has been a good signing for Arsenal.
Laurent Koscielny
More impressive still has been Laurent Koscielny. Arsenal picked up the French defender (of Polish descent) for £8.45 million this summer. So far he’s proved to be worth every penny. When Vermaelen returns from injury it’s likely that Koscielny, not Squillaci or Djourou will partner him in the centre of defence. Koscielny may not be the speediest centre-back, but he has a good positional sense, reads the game well and always seems to be there to put in a last ditch tackle. There may be some concerns regarding his discipline having picked up two red cards so early on in the season, but neither of them were for particularly dirty tackles. As he adapts to the league he’ll learn to be more cautious and avoid unnecessary punishment.
Marouane Chamakh
But Wenger’s star summer signing has to be Marouane Chamakh. It’s better still considering that he was picked up on a free transfer. After 18 appearances this season, Chamakh has 8 goals and 5 assists – very healthy figures. It’s not just the statistics that impress though. Chamakh has a great work rate, tracks back and works hard to link up the play. Van Persie’s injury may have thrust him into the spotlight a little earlier than Wenger planned, but he hasn’t gone missing. Could this be the 20+ goals-per-season striker that Arsenal have been missing for the last couple of seasons? If he keeps working hard, it doesn’t just seem possible – it seems probable. There’s also the mouth-watering prospect of a striking partnership between him and a fully-fit Robin van Persie. The signs are very good.
So that’s three good signings by Wenger. No surprise there. The main surprise when the transfer window closed was that Wenger didn’t bring in a new goalkeeper. Yet Fabianski is improving game-by-game and if he can cut out the costly mistakes, he could be a real prospect. Arsenal are currently second in the Premier League table. These new signings have played a big part in making this happen.
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