View From The Sphere

FIVE deals that Wenger Should look to seal this Summer

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After a promising start to the season, Arsenal eventually stumbled and hit the floor face first in disappointment yet again. The gunners appeared to be serious title contenders and for a majority of the season they were, until March came and saw the Gunners implode before our very eyes.

Since March 27th to April 9th 2010, Arsenal have only managed to accumulate 8 points from a possible 21 (2 wins, 2 draws and losing 4). During this time they were also delivered a world-class beating at the hands of Barcelona, which saw their European dreams shattered once again.

Arsenal did manage to finish off the season on a high by beating Fulham at the Emirates 4-0. The victory assured Wenger’s men third place and an automatic Champion’s League spot.

Fans will be polarized with the outcome of the season, but almost all of them will know why and where it all went erroneous. Arsenal’s squad depth is one of the smallest in the league. A number of fans have come to this conclusion, but yet Wenger still believes they are incorrect. A handful of players within this squad are regarded by the fans as ‘not good enough’.

A majority of the Arsenal faithful believe that changes need to be made for next season.

Several of them (fans) deem that the goalkeepers are not up to scratch, the defence still looks unstable, and the midfield doesn’t possess the steel as it used to in the past. Wenger was reported to have a £35 million transfer budget to utilize this summer and many will be hoping he splashes the cash.

With this quantity of money at his disposal, the Arsenal boss should look into the possibility of acquiring these five realistic targets for next season’s campaign:

Gianluigi Buffon

Even at 32 years of age, Buffon is still regarded by many as the best goal-stopper in the business. After witnessing the embarrassing displays of Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski in recent weeks, fans will undoubtedly want to see a new man in the goal, and they don’t come any better than the Italian international.

Buffon’s future looks uncertain at Juventus as they failed to qualify for the champion’s league next season. The Italian still has three years left on his current contract, but if he is shown the door in this summer then he has already expressed his desire to play in England. He may come at a price, but it would definitely be money well spent for the Gunners if they could obtain his services.

Felipe Melo

Wenger has been a keen admirer of the robust midfielder for a number of years now. In 2009 Le Professuer made an offer for the Brazilian who was playing for AFC Fiorentina at the time, but it was Juve who were able to acquire his signature. Since then, Melo has been touted by his own fans as an underperformer, even though he is a regular starter, making 37 appearances in all competitions and netting 4 times in the process.

The 26-year-old is known to be a fiery character and his disciplinary record speaks for itself. Melo has collected over 10 yellow cards and has been sent off twice so far in his Juve career.

Wenger needs a player like this in his squad, someone willing to get a card and get stuck in…Melo could be that player for Arsenal. Just like Buffon, the Brazilian international won’t be playing champions league football next season. He is not appreciated by his own fans, and as such, may be tempted away from the Turin club this summer.

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