Arsenal Transfer Prospects: Analyzing the Pros and Cons of Signing Blackburn’s Phil Jones

The Gunners have endured six long years of trophy drought and their frustration is also shared by the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who will look to strengthen his team by bringing in some additions to the squad. There have been a number of rumours linking some of their players to depart the club and Wenger would like to sort most of the deals before the pre-season starts.

Arsenal’s main problems in recent seasons has been their defence which has not been solid and this year, defending from set-pieces was particularly awful as the Gunners conceded a number of soft goals. Wenger will look to bring some taller players into the squad in order to mix it up and will hope that their defending is better next season.

The Gunners’ attack also did not fire towards the end of the season which is why Arsenal are linked with the likes of Karim Benzema and Gervinho. However, the defence presents a bigger problem for Arsene Wenger’s team who struggled in 2010-11 season although their best centre back Thomas Vermaelen was not present for most of the season.

However, it is not only the back four which has to be blamed for Arsenal’s shoddy defending as many of the attacking players have not aided in defence and also, the team’s average height is quite low which is another reason for their poor defending from set-pieces. As a result, Wenger has been looking to strengthen the team’s defending and he would prefer signing a defender who can cope with physicality of the Premiership and also, look for players experienced in the EPL.

One of the players who has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the summer is Blackburn’s promising youngster Phil Jones, who can play as a centre back or in the defensive midfield role. Wenger is a manager who is renowned for developing youngsters and could be interested in signing the Blackburn defender.

Phil Jones, who is only 19 years old, has been one of the best performers for Blackburn this season and will not come on a bargain for the Gunners. Arsenal should beat competition from many other clubs if they are interested in signing the England youth International. This article is on the advantages and disadvantages of signing Blackburn’s Phil Jones.

Advantages

Phil Jones is experienced in the Premiership and has made over 30 league appearances for the club despite only making his debut towards the end of the 2009-10 season. He has performed excellently against tough oppositions like Manchester United and Chelsea and looks destined to move to a bigger club in the future.

At a height of 6’ 2”, he possesses excellent aerial ability in addition to being decisive on the ground and also has decent technique on the ball. He has played as a defensive midfielder in a number of games for Blackburn and has displayed his battling qualities in the middle of the park and also, he showed that he can be adept with his passing and technique for a midfielder.

Arsenal do not have depth in the defensive midfield role with Alex Song the only natural holding midfielder in the squad. Though Abou Diaby can play in the role, he is not suited to the role and is better when he is proved with the freedom to surge forward from midfield. Though Song is currently not in the Cameroon squad due to off-field issues, there is every possibility that he could be in the squad for the African Cup of Nations which could mean he miss matches in January and February.

Jones is comfortable in the role of the holding midfielder and can be used in the role in the absence of Song. Also, he provides additional presence for set-pieces which will undoubtedly help the Gunners. Though his overall game can still improve, he certainly has shown a lot of potential and can go on to be an excellent ball-playing centre back in the future.

With Sebastien Squillaci being unimpressive in his first season at the club, there is a good possibility that he could be shipped out to accommodate new arrivals. Though Johan Djourou had a good 2010-11 season, he is still prone to errors and suffers from inconsistency. Laurent Koscielny had an extremely shaky start to the season but has also shown a lot of promise for the future and it is expected that he will have a better season next year when he is well accustomed to the Premiership.

Disadvantages

As is the case with many Arsenal targets, he could prove to be quite costly and though Wenger has said that Arsenal have the financial capability to make big signings in the summer but it is doubtful as to whether he will spend as much as the £15 million reported in the Mail to secure his services. Wenger has admitted he needs to bring in experience to bolster the squad and Jones does not fit the bill in that respect having played only 35 games for Arsenal.

Also, it is doubtful whether Jones will be the first choice centre back alongside Thomas Vermaelen because he is inexperienced at the highest level and Laurent Koscielny has shown a lot of promise in his debut season. The Blackburn defender could however be an excellent back-up and add quality depth to the squad.

If a youngster like Phil Jones, it could possibly mean the departures of promising youngsters Kyle Bartley, who was impressive on loan this season, and Ignasi Miquel who will enjoy lesser playing time. Bartley in particular has shown that he can be a part of Arsenal’s first team in the next season and he can also play as a defensive midfielder.

 

However, Phil Jones is considered to be a better talent and has been touted to be one of the best defenders in the future. Arsenal would certainly benefit by having a promising youngster like Jones in their team and the England U-21 player would certainly improve Arsenal with respect to dealing with set-pieces along with providing more depth and competition to the squad.

Manchester United signed Chris Smalling from Fulham for around £10 million and though it was too much at that time, Smalling's performances have meant that United have made an excellent investment for the future. Similarly, the spending on Phil Jones could prove to be an important investment for Arsenal who need to sign quality players in order to end this frustrating title drought.

English players are generally over-rated and cost much more than their counterparts in foreign leagues which is why Jones might cost more than his market price. However, if it is possible for Wenger to sign the defender at a price which is affordable, then he should make efforts to sign the Blackburn defender who could be a future England International.

If interested, read Arsenal Transfer Prospects: Pros and Cons of signing Falcao, Ricky Alvarez, Scott Parker and Gervinho in this series of Arsenal Transfer Prospects

Arsenal Transfer Prospects: The Pros and Cons of Signing West Ham's Scott Parker

Though Arsene Wenger is probably on his way to South America for the summer, it is certain that he will be  actively involved in finalizing transfers as well as deciding on the futures of several players in the current Arsenal squad. Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson have confirmed that they wants to quit the club and some others are likely to follow in the summer.

The Gunners have been linked with a number of players in the summer and relegated West Ham's central midfielder is one of the targets for Arsene Wenger in this transfer window. West Ham have appointed Sam Allardyce as their new manager and they will hope that he can take them back to the Premiership in his first year.

However, Scott Parker has hinted that he is likely to move in order to play for the highest level and also to play for the England team. The hard tackling midfielder has reportedly attracted the interest of Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham and could be signed by one of these clubs. Though Parker is currently aged 30, he was the best player by a distance for West Ham and also won the Football Writers Award for the 2010-11.

Parker started his career at Charlton Athletic where he impressed and attracted the interest of many clubs due to his impressive performances from the English midfielder. He was signed by Chelsea which meant a big step in his career but he did not get many opportunities to prove himself and was discarded by the Blues only one and a half seasons after signing for the club.

Since then, he has played for Newcastle United and West Ham United where he has been excellent for both clubs. Though Parker's performances for the Irons in this season were in vain, it is likely that he will move on to a club in the top six of the EPL in this summer. With Arsenal amongst the clubs being linked with him, this is an article on what Parker brings to the Gunners and also on Arsenal's problems in defensive midfield.


Advantages

Arsenal have not had enough leaders in the dressing room due to a lack of experience and Fabregas in an interview to the Don Balon admitted that the guys look up to him and Van Persie. Parker is a player who is vastly experienced and can help others to cope with pressure. Also, he has played in a team with much lesser quality and has the capability to bring out the best from others as he showed with West Ham.

The England International is a hard tackling player who is good defensively and can thrive in the defensive midfield role for the Gunners though he can contribute effectively in attack as well. He is experienced in the Premiership and can cope with the physicality and the pace of the league which means that he will not need time to adjust to the team.

Parker can play in the role of Jack Wilshere or that of Alex Song in the current Arsenal team and there is no quality back-up for Song if he does get injured. Though Abou Diaby has played in that role, he is not suited to a predominantly defensive midfielder role and Emmanuel Frimpong has only just recovered from his injury which saw him miss almost the entire season.

It would also be personally good for Parker if he joins Arsenal since he can play in the Champions League which no other club interested in him can offer and also, he would play alongside Jack Wilshere at club level which will improve his chances of getting selected in the England team where Wilshere is certain to start.

With a player of Parker's experience, Arsenal's mentality is likely to improve and his never-say-die attitude and commitment to the cause could be just what the Gunners need to get over the finishing line at the end of the season. In more detail, here are five reasons why Parker should be considered by Arsene Wenger, who rarely spends a sizeable fee on a player aged 30.

Disadvantages

Parker's transfer fee could be a problem considering his age and West Ham will not let him depart on a bargain though he is likely to quit the club. Also, Arsenal's major problem this season has been dealing with set-pieces and signing another short player will not solve the problem which is why Wenger wants to bring more variety in height this year.

Also, he could be frustrated with the lack of opportunities at the club if Wenger opts to play Song ahead of him. Though he played one and a half years with Chelsea, he is not experienced with the Champions League which boasts of high quality teams from around the world. He is not quick which means that he could struggle with fast counter-attacks with which the Gunners have struggled to deal with in the past.

He has played through the pain barrier on some occasions this season and that could yet come back to haunt him because he could be injured next season having played a number of games for West Ham despite sustaining some injuries. The last thing that Arsenal would want to have is another player who is a frequent visitor to the treatment room but let us hope Parker, irrespective of which club he joins, can stay fit for most of the season.

Should Wenger sign a Defensive Midfielder in the Summer?


Arsenal have been linked with a number of players in various positions and it is difficult to predict which positions are at the top of the agenda for the Arsenal manager. But it is logical to predict that the Gunners are likely to be in the market for a strong Centre Back who can provide stability to Arsenal, who have been woeful in defending from set-pieces.

However, the Gunners currently have four defenders in Laurent Koscielny, Johan Djourou, Thomas Vermaelen and Sebastien Squillaci. In this scenario, signing a strong physical centre back like Gary Cahill or Christopher Samba who are excellent in the air. Koscielny and Djourou have both shown immense promise for the future and will only get better next season but it is likely that manager signs a player who relishes aerial battles.

Arsenal might need to sign a Centre Back who is likely to be in the range of £10-15 million and to sign a defensive midfielder like Parker or any other decent defensive midfielder, another £8-12 million will be required. The Gunners will also look to sign a striker who can be prolific since Van Persie has been injury prone and also a left winger because Arshavin has been inconsistent and signing a youngster like Ricky Alvarez or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be important in this summer.

The problem for Arsenal is that with the African Nations Cup in January 2012, Alex Song and Emmanuel Frimpong could be away with their National teams though it looks increasingly likely that the Cameroon International will not be a part of the squad. One alternative which can be considered by Wenger is that the Arsenal defenders are quite good on the ball and can play as midfielders when required.

Though Vermaelen is currently Arsenal's best defender, he has a tendency to attack far too much and can get caught out of position for a centre back. However, he has excellent technique and can shoot from range and can easily slot in as a defensive midfielder as well. Johan Djourou has played as a defensive midfielder in his youth and can also do the job in midfield.


Koscielny who has been excellent in many games this season for the Gunners including high profile games against Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United can be paired alongside the new defender and also, he has also shown good potential with his distribution and he can also possibly play in the defensive midfield role though he is not accustomed to the role in his short career.

In the absence of Alex Song due to injury or Internationals, Thomas Vermaelen or Laurent Koscielny can play in his role with the other as the centre back partnering Johan Djourou or the new signing. If a centre back who is good on the ball plays in defensive midfield, it will also mean that Arsenal will have more presence in the box for defending set-piece situations with which they have struggled.

In addition to this, youngsters Emmanuel Frimpong who was on the verge of breaking into the first team squad before his cruciate ligament injury and Kyle Bartley who has shown a lot of promise in his loan spells could also provide depth for Song. The option of playing Vermaelen or Koscielny as a defensive midfielder alongside Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere has to be considered by the manager since it will provide much more security in defense which has been Arsenal's achilles' heel in the recent past.


If interested, read Arsenal Transfer Prospects: Pros and Cons of signing Falcao and Ricky Alvarez