Many Arsenal fans believe Arsene Wenger’s long, illustrious career as Gunners boss should be coming to an end.
Strange dealings in the transfer market over the years have ultimately led to disappointing results on the pitch and perhaps it’s time for someone else to have a go at returning the glory days to the red half of north London.
So grab your copy of FM15, tell the missus you won’t be around for a while, prepare a huge bowl of Cheetos and start laying the foundations of your own Arsenal revolution.
The board expect nothing less than Champions League qualification from you so the pressure’s on from the very start, but they also recognise the need for some serious investment in the playing squad. That’s why they’re willing to hand you £47.5million to spend as you wish in return for yet another top four finish. But if you reckon you can hit the ground running and win the league straight away, they’re prepared to up that to a huge £61million – but be careful, because you don’t want to find yourself looking for another job by Christmas if things go pear shaped.
That said, £47.5m should be more than enough to strengthen the side so it’s worth playing it safe to save your skin. But where to strengthen? A defensive midfielder is obviously priority, while a centre-half and perhaps another inside forward would give you the best possible chance of winning silverware.
So here are eight players you should consider bringing to north London from the very start…
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Eder Balanta – £7m+
Eder Balanta is one of the ‘must haves’ for most managers in this year’s series of the game, with him possessing all the early attributes to become a world class centre-half.
And at just £7million (some have had to pay around £10m) he’s just far too much of a bargain to turn down. Bring him as decent understudy to Koscielny and Mertesacker, and before long you’ll find him keeping one of them out of the starting XI.
Ricardo Rodriguez – £20m+
Regardless of whether you love Kieron Gibbs or not, you’ll find he’s extremely unreliable and injury-prone on the FM15, which means you’ll be better off finding some to replace him pretty quickly- but by all means keep him and use him as back up.
And you should look no further than Wolfsburg’s 21-year-old Swiss left-back Ricardo Rodriguez, who will have no trouble slotting straight as a first choice player and has the potential to become a solid player for over ten years. Reliability at its very best.
Lars Bender – £25m+
Do what Arsene Wenger has failed to do for some time now and bring in a solid defensive midfielder to help protect your back line.
And, just like real life, Lars Bender is the stand out option for many. The young German international is an out-of-the-box option to replace the likes of Mikel Arteta and Manuel Flamini at the club and is good enough to stay there for several years without letting you down much.
He’s a bit pricey but, remember, we’re trying to do what Arsene Wenger couldn’t, so don’t be afraid to splash the cash.
Gaston Gil Romero – £8m+
If you flick through the forums, you’ll see a lot of managers describing Gaston Gil Romero as “a beast” of a midfielder. The 21-year-old Argentine has some impressive mental stars and will need some guidance in order to reach his true potential.
And that potential can go as far as being an important cog in your midfield engine room for many years to come.
Memphis Depay – £12m
If you’re looking for goals then Memphis Depay is one of the few inside forwards on the game that almost guarantee them for fun. Yeah, you’ve got Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain et al in the squad already, but Depay will outshine most of those with ease.
The Dutchman offers pace and technique, and he has all the attributes about him to become one of the best players in the world. One manager in a forum claims to have see Depay register over 20 goals and 20 assists for them in a single season. Monster.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos – £15m+
If you’re looking for adequate cover at the back, Sokratis as certainly a player you should be looking at.
The Dortmund centre-half boasts tackling (19) and pace (18) attributes, which’ll make him a much more desirable option than Koscielny or Mertesacker.
If you play it right you can get him for less than £10million, but expect to pay more than that.
Lucas Romero – £7m
If you’re looking for a creative, yet combative, midfielder, then Lucas Romero’s characteristics fit the bill perfectly. You can use him as a deep-lying player maker or use him at the base of your midfield diamond, and you’ll benefit from him class either way.
And at just £7million you’ll have a bargain on your hands. Some managers loan him back to Velez for a season, but you’ll still get a lot out of him if you decide to throw him straight in at the deep end.
Andre Hahn – £2.1m
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder is consistency personified and can be got at bargain £2.1million as part of his contract’s minimum release clause.
He can provide adequate back to the likes of Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and even Alexis Sanchez, but has enough potential to become an important first team player before too long.
Not exactly a glamour signing, but definitely one worth bringing in given his low price and high potential.