TalkSPORT presenter and the man people love to hate Adrian Durham believes Arsene Wenger missed a trick with Christian Eriksen, insisting the Frenchman should have signed the Dane instead of Mesut Ozil.
Wenger managed to sign the German playmaker from Real Madrid on a club record fee of £42 million last summer, sparking excitement amongst the Arsenal faithful and players alike.
Many believe the arrival of Ozil has had a major impact on the team’s performances this season, but Durham reckons that’s not the case whatsoever:
‘Ozil has done some very good things since joining Arsenal but you wouldn’t say he is the player who’s had the biggest impact to take them to the top.
‘Maybe his arrival alone raised the performance of other players but the assessment that he may have a lengthy lull during the season has been proven correct. So far it hasn’t proved costly for the Gunners but it’s fair to say his team-mates are carrying him at this point in the season.’
Durham then went on to speak about Wenger’s fruitless project and claims the Frenchman didn’t have to splash out so much money on Ozil, maintaining an £11 million move for Eriksen would have made more sense and held the Arsenal manager’s credibility of not spending big on players:
‘By signing Ozil for a record fee, and giving him an eye-watering salary in the region of £140,000 a week, Wenger has clearly confirmed that the club has decided to abandon his well-intentioned, but ultimately, fruitless project of not spending big.
‘But that huge spend on one player didn’t need to be made. If Wenger casts his eyes across north London he will see Christian Eriksen, an £11m 21-year-old controlling games, in charge of midfield, defending and creating, as Tottenham enjoy a golden run of form right now.
‘Had Wenger signed Eriksen, his project would still have credibility and he would have a player ready made for Arsenal’s style.’
Durham is clearly trying to ruffle feathers and get Arsenal fans questioning Wenger’s decision to sign Ozil, but not this one.
Ozil is a world-class player – he’s proven his quality when he was at Werder Bremen and, until last summer, at Real Madrid.
Yes the German may be having a dry spell but what player doesn’t. He still has to adapt to the Premier League and I’m sure as he does we will see the best from Mesut.
Should we have signed Eriksen instead of Ozil?
Although the Dane is a young talent and would’ve come at a cheaper price, Ozil, for me, just pips him in the quality scale. Ozil is also more experienced and possesses the winning mentality having lifted trophies with Real.
Wenger may be frugal but he’s not stupid – he must have seen something in Ozil that Eriksen lacks and opted to sign the former instead of the latter.
Too late Wenger Spurs got a world class player what a mug
I know who I would have brought and it is not eriksen .arsenal are moving in the right direction .
Calm down, that jealousy is showing again, you poor little spud.
2 nil, with ease :o)
AFC (the kings of North London)
eriksen is not world class you mug…..he may become so in a few years but he currently is not. while mesut ozil actually is world class, and while he has not been at his best he has still had more end product than eriksen
Spurs fan here. Ozil is class and better all rounder than Eriksen. Pound for pound perhaps we got the better deal with Eriksen but you feel even if having a poor game Ozil could provide that key pass that can change a game. Not convinced Eriksen has that regularly in his locker yet but perhaps in time as he is still young.
True, its a shame you wasted another 100 million of a load of crap Egyption waiters, hohoho
AFC
which ones were Egyptian??
To the village that’s missing it’s idiot. Tomas is on here. What a moronic comment. Trev-I think your question is too complicated for cretin,Tomas,but English is not his first language.
Of course he should be was (yet again) trying to prove a point by buying from the club who bought Bale.
Whinger signed a class player in Oozee eyes (Oozee looking at) and yep he’s having a dip, but no player unless you’re Messi or Ronaldo, can be that consistent.
Erikson is only just now starting to produce and will prove to be a good signing, so no need to go all defensive about a DJs comments, all media workers are on the wind up.
You know how good Oozee is as do we, and we know how good Erikson is, one team can’t have every player (as much as Chelscum, Man Shitty and R. Madrid try) so some comments aren’t worth jack or worrying about.
Forget this Spurs vs Arsenal rubbish….you have to look at both deals and both players performances and age….obviously Eriksen is the better signing but he was a huge snip overall, he has everything is 21 and only cost 11 million. He scores he assists and he has probably properly steeled in the last 7 games.
Ozil started great but has faded away, now as he is a 42 million pound buy you expect more but he is still a great player, and Arsenal are a better team with him….Eriksen was the better signing but thats based on age and value
This isnt a question of who is a better signing Ozil and Eriksen play in the same position but are different players, yet have similarities both are hugley technical with great footballing minds….
The person who wrote this must be dumb. Only a dumb can say such a rubbish statement, i’m sorry, i would argue with you with respect, but i can’t you are simply too much retard.
Getting Erikssen instead of Ozil? what the fuck? What do you want? You want Ozil to be like Ronaldo or Messi? Having 3 or 4 assists and to score hat tricks on every game, is that it? PLease do me a favour and stop supporting ARsenal, i ‘m ashamed of supporting a club that has fans like you, go suppport Spurs or United instead please 😉
You should read the article properly, sounds to me like you are “too much retard”
yep EL, spurs got SEVEN world class players. Now fighting for 4th, which they will not get yet again…..
2 Good players no doubt but if Durham said anything on the Daily Arsenal that made sense I still would not believe it
Of course Wenger saw something in Ozil that Eriksen doesnt have….he paid +£30m more for him and he’s on more than double Eriksen’s wages.
Eriksen has had a tough start but is now more settled and being given that freedom to play that AVB did not give him. He is repaying that with goals and assists since Sherwood has taken control.