Adebayor must have really impressed Roman Abramovich in the cameo against Chelsea where he touched the ball twice and dove repeatedly to get a penalty. In keeping with the CL semi-finals, he contributed very little to that match.
He is reportedly a transfer target for the Blues. Didier Drogba is an almost certainty to depart Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti now a distinct coaching possibility is a big fan of the Togolese striker.
Wenger appears to have no objections to him leaving for one of the big rivals. If there is anyone who knows Ade’s weaknesses, it is Wenger. He has probablyl figured out a way to neutralize him. The money from his sale is an irresistible attraction. Ade should go for £25-30m.
Wenger should also seriously consider the transfers of Abou Diaby, Alexander Song, and Denilson. The three of them should net about £20m. We could also offload Mikael Silvestre and William Gallas.
With about £60m to £70m in player transfers and another £30m from the club for a budget of £90- 100m, here is who we should try and get:
Adebayor’s replacement should be someone who outscores him in power and speed. Edin Dzeko at Wolfsburg is a big bold presence at 6′ 4″. He has outstanding stats with 22 goals scored in 30 appearances this season. At 23 years, he is already an outstanding contributor to the Bosnian national team and leads the World Cup qualifiers with seven goals.
You might argue that having another striker is redundant having RVP, Eduardo, Bendtner, Vela, Walcott, and Arshavin who can all score but this is a false notion. RVP is injury prone, , Eduardo’s complete return remains in question, Walcott lacks the finishing touch in spades, Bendtner’s recent form has been satisfactory but after much profligacy, and Vela has just begun getting some first place looks. Arshavin seems to be the only player who inspires confidence, so relieving him of goalscoring pressure would be extremely important.
Another bold move would be to seduce Mathieu Flamini back. It will take more money but Flamini has been under utilized in Milan and might want to get back to a more substantial role. I really believe Wenger dropped the ball and they should have matched or exceeded Milan’s offer. Flamini alongside Fabregas forged the template for Arsenal’s midfield potency last season.
We could also target Marcos Senna, Villareal’s hard man, as holding midfielder. He brings serious teeth to the game. Senna has expressed admiration for Arsenal’s young talent and he might want to move to a bigger stage. At 32 years he is at the older end of the spectrum but his Villareal and Spain performances suggest he is peaking. Without a doubt, he is an inspirational leader who would relieve Fabregas of that burden. For a younger player we could turn to Yaya Toure, Barca’s everyday man on defense with some serious attacking chops. Brother Kolo could give him a few words of encouragement to encourage him to come to the Emirates. Xavi Alonso and Gareth Barry remain on the horizon.
Arsenal’s central defense has been shambolic. They have also lacked being set piece threats. With an eye towards that, the following central defenders should be seriously considered. Raul Albiol of Valencia who with his 6’3″ frame should give the inches that Arsenal’s defense needs.
There is Juventus Giorgio Chiellini and Everton’s Joleon Lescott, both hard to knock of the tackle and proven set piece goal scorers. If Wenger wants to go a bit cheaper he can try to get Nedum Onuoha at Man City or Curtis Davies at Villa. Both are the highest quality and performing beyond their years. Arsenal needs a central defender duo who can develop the sort of understanding that Toure and Gallas were unable to do.
Tomas Rosicky has just started attending training after 16 months away with injuries to his knees and hamstrings and if everything progresses well, should be back for next season’s start. If that happens then the midfield has yet another option.