3 – Alex Song
The majority of Arsenal fans seem reluctant to bring Song back to the Emirates this summer. Barcelona’s fear mongering is the reason why. The Catalan club have a history of panic-buying players they know won’t fit into their system, only to blame the individual when things go wrong. It helps them avoid the embarrassment of wasting money on a player they didn’t need, and allows the fans to overlook poor management decisions that ruin the careers of promising stars.
Alex Song is one of those unlucky individuals. Purchased by Barcelona in 2012 for no other reason that the fact he played for Arsenal and could pass the ball well – Song has seen his career hit rock bottom at the Camp Nou. He has been shifted around Barcelona’s midfield and back four since he arrived at the club, and their failure to understand his preferred position has in turn cost Song much of his acclaim.
If Song was to rejoin Arsenal, Wenger could turn him into the midfield sensation he once was. The 26-year-old was outstanding for Arsenal in pretty much every game he played before leaving the club, and if he was given a run in the team, you’d expect him to rediscover that form.
Gooners already know his style. Alex likes to sit just in front of his side’s defence and spray passes about for fun. At key moments in games, the Cameroonian loves to take a risk – his driving runs and beautifully weighted chipped passes were the stuff of legend in times gone by. Although a lot of Arsenal fans have been critical of his tendency to bomb forward, they weren’t quite as critical when he was winning us games against top four clubs.
For £10 million, I think Song is worth a gamble. Our midfield has never been the same since he left.