David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
It was reported on Thursday that Arsenal have lodged an official offer with Everton to acquire Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini. Felliani has been an excellent player for Everton and if he were to join Arsenal, it would not only give Arsenal that missing midfield player needed, but signal they are serious about winning next season.
Fellaini is a box to box midfielder who is great on the ball, has excellent passing abilities, is a very good tackler and has a nose for goals. His 11 goals during the 2012-13 Premier League season are a testament to his ability to jump into attack and score.
What Fellaini would represent and bring to the Arsenal midfield is a player who would serve as a missing piece in what could be one of Europe’s best with his addition. Fellaini would play alongside Jack Wilshire, a player whose skill level and play would complement those of Fellaini.
In a Fellaini-Wilshire central midfield pairing, one would be able to stay and play back as the holding midfielder, while the other would be able to play a more advanced position supporting Santi Carzola, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta in advanced midfield play.
One of my biggest criticisms of Arsenal as a fan has been that I have felt that manager Arsene Wenger and club management have lacked ambition and were not serious about winning trophies as of late. I have stated and called for everyone associated to resign out of frustration of many of the decisions taken.
If Arsenal are successful in bidding for and then signing Fellaini, that would show me as a fan that finally, after years of frustration, Arsenal are on the right track to potentially challenge for the league title next season. The addition of Fellaini would mean that Arsenal would be able to claim of having one of the better midfields in the Premier League and have a legitimate argument in doing so.
And with UEFA Champions League play, Arsenal would add a skilled midfielder who would allow Arsenal to play better in the competition. Like all English teams in the 2012-13 edition of the competition, the lack of speed and skill in the midfield was one of the biggest issues. Adding Fellaini would help shield and improve Arsenal’s defensive play and attacking prowess.
While there will certainly be other teams, most notably Manchester United, who will probably also make a bid for the services of Fellaini, the fact that Arsenal have reportedly lodged a bid for the midfielder is the first signal that the club are serious and are once again ambitious about winning. As a Gunner, I could not be happier to see the team in play for a world class talent.
Lucas Carreras is a contributing Soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow Lucas on Twitter by following him @maldini3fan and you can also add him to your circles on Google+.
