“If Arsenal Wants To Buy Him, The Discussion Can Be Opened”

Arsenal have been given permission to talk with Marseille’s 26 year-old midfielder, Matheiu Valbuena as Arsene Wenger seeks midfield reinforcements.

With Cesc Fabregas out of the door, and Samir Nasri soon to follow, Arsenal have naturally been linked to a whole host of players who could possibly fill their void. Valbuena is one of those who has realistically been linked to a move to the Emirates, and now things are moving along nicely which could see the diminutive creative midfielder wearing the red of Arsenal this season.

Marseille’s sporting director, Jose Anigo is very much open to allowing Arsenal speak with Valbuena, citing the importance of respect for a long standing player and the prospect of a big clubs interest as to why he would allow talks. He said:

“It’s been six years since Mathieu Valbuena joined the club. If Arsenal wants to buy him, the discussion can be opened.”

”When a player has spent five or six years at a club, out of respect for him, nothing is closed. We are very pleased with him, but if a big club is interested in Mathieu, people listen.”

Valbuena is very versatile across the midfield, having played in wide positions in his youth career at Bordeaux, but is now primarily deployed as a central playmaker. His work rate however, sees him fly all over the pitch, with a good defensive work ethic mixed in with his eye for a pass and creativity further up the field.

He is small, but uses this to his advantage, being incredibly mobile on the ball demonstrated well in his exceptional dribbling ability. He would be a few inches smaller than his predecessors in Nasri and Fabregas if he were to join Arsenal, but he would also be a lot more physical too, adding some solid control and power to the Arsenal midfield.

Wenger vowed in an interview before Arsenal’s Champions League qualifier against Udinese that he would spend £30 million or £40 million of the right player came along. While one would doubt such a promise, Valbuena wouldn’t cost anywhere near as much as those amounts, and would be a comfortable purchase of around £15 million.

Arsenal need a player like Valbuena, and under the circumstances, Wenger would be silly not to move quickly for a player who’s own club have announced his availability.

Submitted by DBSFootball