2. Alex Song
A player familiar to Arsenal fans – Alex Song used to be one of Wenger’s brightest stars.
After an incredibly strong 2011/12 campaign, Barcelona snapped up the Gunner’s prized midfielder for £15 million.
Although his departure was marred with rumours of laziness and late arrivals to training, Song was my favourite defensive midfielder in the Premier League before he left for the Camp Nou.
Possessing the flair and ingenuity of an attacking midfielder along with the strength and ball winning mentality of a defender, the Cameroonian held together Arsenal’s midfield for years.
My favourite thing about Song is his playing style when in possession. He isn’t afraid of taking his time when passing in order to create massive openings upfront for our forwards and attacking midfielders. His composure is outstanding – and when you combine this with his brute strength, you find a player capable of holding onto the ball in the toughest and most gruelling situations imaginable.
Alex’s downfall is his tendency to bomb forward when things are going well. In games where we were dominating, he would start to enjoy himself a little too much – sprinting forward into the opposition’s box to try to help get the ball in the back of the net. It was unnecessary; as we’d usually have enough talent upfront to break down defences without him, and his absence at the back would leave us open to counter attacks.
Nevertheless, Song’s return would definitely strengthen our midfield, and he could cost as little as £10 million to bring back – offering cover at centre back too.