Reported Arsenal target Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa craves a move to the Premier League this summer – should Arsenal step up their pursuit in the 22-year-old centre-back?
The Bangui-born defender has had a superb season with Montpellier, who are on the verge of winning the Ligue 1, and due to his displays for the French side, several clubs across Europe have been keeping tabs on Yanga-Mbiwa, with many set to make a move for him when the transfer window opens.
Arsenal are believed to be one of the clubs keen on Yanga-Mbiwa, who can play anywhere across the back-line, with the player stating it is the right time for a move to England.
Calciomercato claims Yanga-Mbiwa was quoted in French publication L’Equipe saying:
‘My desire is to play in England ahead of any other European league.’
Yanga-Mbiwa then went on to praise Arsenal and Manchester United and feels honoured to be linked with ‘two great clubs’:
‘For me it would be a dream come true to see myself in the Premier League. Arsenal or Manchester United? They are two great clubs.
‘I feel very honoured they are interested in me and at the end of the season I will evaluate my future.’
Depending on his value, I think it would be wise for us to go for the Montpellier centre-back. He is agile, acquires pace, has great positional awareness, reads the game well and is highly experienced for someone so young.
There must be something about him if several teams across Europe are chasing him. But again, It depends on how much Montpellier will ask for. His existing contract is set to expire next summer, which means Montpellier will either have to sell at a reasonable price or risk losing their captain on a free at the end of next season’s campaign.
Reports suggest interested parties could acquire Yanga-Mbiwa’s services this summer for a bargain price of £7 million!!! A fee which Arsene Wenger will undoubtedly jump at!
Get your cheque book out Arsene! Bring him in and get rid of/offer Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci!
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Jan Vertonghen is the defender i’ve hoped we would sign, but in many ways, Yanga Mbiwa would be ideal as he could cover the right back position aswell as performing the centre back role to a high standard, allowing us to sell Squillaci(+ possibly Djourou) and loan Jenkinson to a Premier League team where he’ll get regular football, hopefully returning in a better position to compete at Arsenal.
If we sign Yann M’Vila and an experienced, reliable goalkeeper to challenge Szczesny, our defence will be much improved.
We just need a great CAM, a GK and recuperate wilshere, then send Ramsey on loan and that’s it. We don’t need a GK to challenge Szczesny we need one to Help Szczesny. He played injured like the last 5 or so games in this season.
We already have good defenders apart from at left-back so we don’t need Yanga-Mbiwa. What we need is a decent manager that can organise and drill them into a cohesive unit and a defensive minded midfielder to protect them!!!
davegooner
who is our decent right back?
the one with the broken leg?
the 20 year old just returning from stress fracture of the back and only a handful of matches to his name?
an out of position 20 year old midfielder?
an out of position centre back?
for me the defence needs this fella, plus van der weil and vertonghen. whilst moving out squillaci, djourou and hoyte
This guy is better than all our Center backs at such a young age.He is mature,fast and tough,he is probably behind only Martesaker in positioning and reading the game,well everyone is,but he is also the captain.One thing about him is that he gets overly aggresive which can be taken as good or bad.I have seen him live and he looks an amazing player.He also plays alongside a player who plays like Martesaker in Vitorino,so he would be a perfect CB partner to him.
If Ignasi Miquel would do us another fabregas in say another 4 or 5 yrs,he should better leave now so we get a perfect replacement who would understand our style asap as I see him(miquel) as the perfect heir to Puyol’s barca throne,they’ve got the same style of play
M’biwa or nkoulou are my choices for centre back m’biwa can also play as a right back. Both players are top class I wouldn’t mind either player.
wenger wont bring in a CB
if he didnt go for ventagohn who would cost round 5M
i dont see wenger bring in a new CB who will cost more and wont be as a good as wentagohen
Why have we forgotten that we are without Sagna for the start of the season, As has been in the past it may exten till January, so for Half of the season we are without any Right Back.
Jenkinson is good at Crossing but vulnerable while defending.
Interesting is that Villarreal has gone down in La Liga. Cristian Zapata is a player who was hot on Wenger’s list a couple of years back. He is Two footed, Right Back – Left Back – Center Back – DEfensive Midfield in some cases.
Though questions will be raised on his defensing attributes as his team has been relegated but still he is a worthy option with a decent history and did help his team qualify for champions league last season.
Other Than Podolski, Cristian Zapata and his fellow Keeper Diego Lopez are the only players we need to sign up also they won’t cost any fortune. (hoping some kind of relegation clause in their contracts). and they are experienced as well as young. What you guys think about this Villarreal Pair?