Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Business as Usual at Arsenal

Arsenal completed its second major signing of the off-season yesterday, just one week before the new season begins, and, surprise, surprise, it's another offensive player: young Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is moving to the Gunners from Southampton for the highest fee ever paid to a Championship side (and a price Man.U. considered too high). He is being touted as potentially another Theo Walcott, which I believe means that he is very fast and has the potential to become potentially great, as Theo has yet to fulfill his own potential. Oxlade-Chamberlein's arrival should have little bearing on the upcoming Premiership season; he is a signing for the future.

Still gaping with less than three weeks to go before the transfer window closes is the hole in Arsenal's defense, which has appeared every bit as fragile and porous during this pre-season as it was during Arsenal's collapse last season. Rumors persist about the addition of Gary Cahill or Christopher Samba to partner with Thomas Vermaelen in the center of defense. More interestingly, the press has latched on to a possible move for Werder Bremen's German international Per Mertesacker. Signing Mertesacker would alter my evaluation of this transfer season from mediocre to exceptional.

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