Arsenal and Manchester United interested in acquiring the services of Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara

Barcelona youngster Thiago Alcantara has not enjoyed too many chances in the first team due to the impressive form of Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. His contract ends in the summer and has not committed his future to the Blaugrana. Jonathan dos Santos and Thiago are said to be two of the most gifted academy players but at the age of 19, Thiago is interested in playing more in the first team.

Also, the signing of Ibrahim Afellay has pushed him further down the pecking order and he could move on in January. Arsenal and Manchester United are both said to be interested in acquiring the services of the midfielder who has got good vision and creativity.

Thiago would be interested to join the Gunners considering Wenger gives opportunities to youngsters and also, another young Spaniard from La Masia has gone on to captain the Arsenal team. Cesc Fabregas has developed immensely at Arsenal and his progress could influence Thiago’s decision.

Manchester United have also got an excellent record of developing youngsters and are interested in the 19-year old. The Red Devils have not got a proper replacement for the aging Paul Scholes and Sir Alex Ferguson has got a lot of faith in Tom Cleverley. But Thiago could be a good addition and could be a regular for Manchester United in the future.

Barcelona will be interested in keeping the youngster but cannot provide him too many opportunities. He wants to be promoted to the first team and since there are no indications of that happening, he could well move on. Also, Barcelona are expected to sign Cesc Fabregas sometime in the future which means that Thiago’s chances at the heart of the Barcelona midfield is not so good. Arsenal and Manchester United are both good clubs for the youngster and he must decide on which club is best suited to his development.

Arsenal's Man of Match vs. Chelsea: Captain Cesc Fabregas

Arsenal finally ended their dreadful run of results against Chelsea by thrashing the Blues by three goals to one in an enthralling contest. It was a game which they had to have a good result in order to move closer to Manchester United and also to erase their psychological barrier. Didier Drogba and Chelsea have tormented the Gunners in the recent past which has been one of the main reasons why they have not established themselves as serious title contenders in the past.

On Monday night though, it was to be the Gunners who showed the strength and determination to prove why they are serious challengers for the Premiership title. They showed the steel in midfield and were clinical in finishing. They had not scored a goal against Chelsea in their last three Premier League meetings but were able to penetrate the Chelsea defence three times by their superb play.

Prior to the game, Cesc Fabregas admitted that they were scared of losing in the big games which was one of the main reasons why they were not able to perform to their potential. It was certainly big words from the Captain and had the team failed, I am sure some fans would have said it was pessimistic from the Spaniard to say such things before the media.

But it was courageous from Fabregas to admit their mistakes in the past and it certainly had an effect on the team as they played fearlessly against the current Premier League title holders. The Spaniard has clearly not been at his best this season due to his hamstring injuries and he has looked short of match fitness on a number of occasions.

However, he was given the extra week to prepare for the Chelsea clash due to the postponement of the Stoke City game and he looked sharp from the outset of the game. He is not a vocal leader like many other captains but he certainly influences the team in a big way. He slotted into his usual attacking midfield role and dictated play in the midfield often allowing Jack Wilshere to move to a role in front of him.

Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas are certainly the two prominent leaders in this team and when they are both on the pitch, Arsenal seem to have a lot more confidence. Fabregas did misplace passes initially which was uncharacteristic of him but once he settled into the game, he was the one organising the midfield and setting the tempo of the play.

A lot of credit should be given to the defence, Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny in particular, for being able to make crucial interceptions and made it hard for Drogba and Chelsea to get into good positions. The team worked tirelessly to defend well and Martin Keown's support of the back four certainly was true as they looked solid when Arsenal as a team defended well.

Cesc Fabregas was immaculate in spotting his team mates in good positions and his vision, creativity and determination to succeed was one of the most important factors in deciding the match. In the Tottenham game, he looked like he as getting to his best but completely faded away in the second half. There were to be no such lapses this time as Fabregas kept working hard and he made life difficult for Chelsea.

In the lead-up to the first goal which involved Jack Wilshere and Alex Song mainly, Fabregas pulled away from Paulo Ferreira and drew a foul which should have been awarded a penalty but good refereeing from Mark Clattenberg as he allowed Alex Song to pounce on the loose ball to slot it past Petr Cech.

In the second half, Fabregas started just as influential as he was in the first and made some driving runs from midfield. Theo Walcott was through on goal and unselfishly squared it to the onrushing captain who passed the ball into an empty net to score for the first time since the game against Everton. The Spaniard returned the favour to Walcott in a space of two minutes as the duo commbined to set the Englishman through on goal. The England International has been in superb goalscoring form this season and did his chances no harm by taking his chance superbly.

Chelsea were able to claw one back but Cesc Fabregas managed to calm things down as the Gunners settled into the passing rhythm which seemed to have deserted them for a few minutes just after the goal.

The Captain had played his part to perfection, the only blemish being that he would miss the Wigan game due to suspension and was substituted to a standing ovation from the Emirates crowd. It would be a good game to miss considering that the Gunners have two tough games against Birmingham City and Manchester City coming up and Fabregas would have been adequately rested for the clashes.

Samir Nasri has been the player of the season for Arsenal and has been simply exceptional in many games. Even today when he did not have his best game, his movement and creativity caused a lot of trouble for the Blues and his sublime effort which forced Cech to make a superb save spoke volumes of his development this season. With the return to form of the leader Cesc Fabregas, it is time for the deadly duo to torment opposition defences.

Fabregas, Walcott, Song. Djourou and Koscielny all had a very good game tonight while the others had a pretty decent one. Everyone on the pitch looked committed and their display showed mental toughness and resilience. It would be extremely difficult to name one player as the Man of the Match.

But if one were to be named the Player of the Match, it would be Cesc Fabregas for his tenacious efforts, superb vision and creativity, sublime passing and most importantly, excellent leadership on the pitch.

Mario Balotelli better than Cesc Fabregas and Wayne Rooney? Please do wake up, Mario!

Mario Balotelli was awarded the Golden Boy award for being named as the best Under 21 player in the world and he finished of exciting talents Jack Wilshere of Arsenal and David De Gea of Atletico Madrid. He has shown that he has excellent potential to become a successful player in the future but his disrespect for fellow footballers will not augur well for him.

After he picked up the award, in truly Balotelli style, he said he did not know who Wilshere was and that he would boast about the trophy the next time City play against Arsenal. He went on to say he was better than all the previous Golden Boy award winners except the Barcelona genius Lionel Messi.

If you are not aware of the previous winners, it includes some very successful players including the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Wayne Rooney. If Balotelli thinks that talent is the only reason why footballers succeed, then he must reconsider that because football is as much about teamwork as much as ability.

Wayne Rooney scored as many as 34 goals in the last season while Balotelli has scored a total of 33 goals in his professional career. Rooney may not be as talented as the Italian but he certainly is more successful than the City striker. He works hard for the team and is always looking to create opportunities for others.

Cesc Fabregas is another player who was blessed with immense potential as was demonstrated by the midfielder in the youth levels for Spain. Arsene Wenger has been very impressed by the Spaniard’s attitude which led to him being named the captain of the Arsenal team at the age of 21.

Balotelli scored a brace against Salzburg and was yet asked to do more by his manager Roberto Mancini and the experienced Patrick Viera. His work rate has been very poor for City and he should work for the team in order to be successful in the Premiership.

He is no longer a kid at the age of 20 and has got to behave in a professional manner. Balotelli has had his fair share of quarrels in the past but it is time he started to concentrate more on his football and work hard to become a successful footballer.He is a confident young lad who has made mistakes in the past but football would lose one of its excellent young talents if he does not realise his true potential.

He might be as good as Wayne Rooney or Cesc Fabregas in the future but he is certainly not in the same class as the two at present. He has set himself a high target of acquiring the Ballon D’Or in the future but for that, he must put his head down and work hard for himself and the team or it could well be a dream he will never achieve.

Arsenal: Tomas Rosicky must be persuaded to stay at the Emirates and guide Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and other youngsters

Tomas Rosicky has been at Arsenal for five years now and signed a contract with the club in 2009 after recovering from a serious long term injury, which kept him out of the game for 18 months. "The Little Mozart" remains one of the most creative players in the Arsenal squad and this season he has shown that he is free from his injury troubles of the past.

Tomas Rosicky was awarded the famous No. 7 shirt, previously worn by the legendary Robert Pires when he signed for the Gunners in 2006. Though he has not replicated the goal-scoring instincts of Pires, he has been a good player for the Gunners and it would not be too much of an exaggeration to comment that he would have been one of the best players in the current squad, if not for his injury problems in his Arsenal career.

Rosicky is a player who is comfortable with the "Arsenal way" of playing and the nimble-footed midfielder possesses excellent vision and creativity. He has got good dribbling skills and has proved to be an asset to the side. Even though he is 30, he retains good pace and has shown that he can cope with the demands of the Premier League.

He is known for his defence-splitting passes and good runs, which are helpful in creating goals. However, the criticism that he has faced in the recent past is his inability to score goals on a regular basis. He was heavily criticised for a missed penalty this season but he later accepted the blame and said he had to take it because no one else was ready to take up the responsibility.

Samir Nasri has taken over the penalty-taking duties in the absence of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie and has also established his place in the team with some scintillating performances in this season. If Arsenal have all their players fit and firing, it is probable that Wenger will choose a starting 11 which does not feature Tomas Rosicky, who will be expected to provide creativity from the bench, if needed.

But the Arsenal squad have mostly been affected by injuries over the course of the season and Rosicky has got his chances in this season as well. He has made a total of 20 appearances this season, making 11 starts which is a decent amount of playing time for him. He is yet to reproduce his best form but he is certainly playing better and looking sharper than last season.

His versatility is an asset to any team and he is comfortable on the wings or in central midfield. Recently, Wenger has utilized his services in the centre of the park, playing in the role of Fabregas. He is an excellent team player and tracks back to help out his team's defence. He is a leader on the pitch, which could be seen from the game against Aston Villa.

He commands the respect of his teammates and clearly remains as one of the influential figures in the dressing room. At the age of 30, he provides some much needed experience to the squad and can be of great help to some of the youngsters developing at Arsenal. He does play a role in the team and will make around 30 to 40 appearances in this season but his role off the pitch will also be important for the Gunners' success in the future.

Aaron Ramsey is an exciting young prospect who has the potential to be one of the world's best midfielders in the future. However, he suffered a brutal injury (double fracture) in February, which has kept him out of the game for around 10 months. But the Wales international is finally ready for competitive football and has been sent out on loan for a month to Nottingham Forest to gain some valuable playing time and improve on his match fitness.

Ramsey is touted to be the replacement for Fabregas in the future and if he does play close to what he is capable of, Rosicky is the player who could find himself having fewer minutes on the pitch. The Czech captain is a player of superb quality but Ramsey is the future of Arsenal and will be provided the time he needs to build on his potential by Arsene Wenger.

However, Wenger should persuade Rosicky to stay with the club for at least another year or so to help guide these youngsters to reach their potential. Rosicky knows what it is to make a return from a long injury and though he did not suffer the injury from a rash tackle, he can provide the right advice for Ramsey. Rosicky feared at one point that he might not be able to play football again but here he is, back to his flourishing ways at Arsenal.

Also, the defensive aspects of Rosicky's game are pretty good and Ramsey, Wilshere and the midfielders of the future can learn a lot from the experienced midfielder. He is good at sliding tackles and in general, winning possession in the middle of the park. His commitment on the pitch is exemplary and the youngsters would do well to learn from that.

He can be a source of inspiration for Aaron Ramsey and many other young Gunners, who will benefit from his presence in the League Cup ties and other matches. He will make a decent number of appearances for the Gunners considering he is still capable of playing at the highest level and should he recapture his form, he could even establish himself as a regular in the team.

As far as the goals are concerned, if he scores a couple of goals, his confidence will rise and he should be able to get more important goals for his club.

He has been strongly linked with a move to Aston Villa with Gerrard Houllier making him as one of his January transfer targets. However, Wenger should make Rosicky feel that he is an important player and convince him that he has a future at the club. Cesc Fabregas will surely be sought after by Barcelona in the next summer and should he depart, Tomas Rosicky will have an important role in moulding the future of Arsenal.

Arsenal: Arshavin Presents a Quandary for Wenger; Should He Sign Eden Hazard?

Arsenal signed Andrei Arshavin in the January transfer window two seasons back and he has been an integral member of the team since he joined the Gunners. The versatile Russian midfielder has been immense for the Gunners in the past and has established himself as one of the most creative players in the Premier League.

The diminutive Russian has the ability to conjure something brilliant from nothing which has been inspirational for the Gunners. However he also has the tendency to be anonymous in some games and tends to be disillusioned when things are not going well for him and his side. He has underperformed in several games when he is not in the mood.

However he has almost always retained his place in the team because of his devastating ability to create opportunities even when he is not at his best. He was inconsistent last season but had some great moments like the goals at Old Trafford and Anfield. But in this season, he has not had many good games; his best game arguably being the one against Aston Villa where he scored one and created many more opportunities for his team mates.

At the age of 29, it does seem like age is finally catching up with the Russian and he looked tired in many League games which was played after a mid-week fixture. He has not been at his best this season for sure but despite that, he is one of the leaders in assists in the Premier League and also has a decent return of six goals this season.

His contract runs till the end of 2012 and Arsene Wenger said they were in the process of negotiating a new contract for the midfielder. Wenger has a policy of not extending the contracts of players aged 30 or above by two years which has seen many experienced players turn down the one year extension to move to other clubs.

It is clear that Arsene Wenger has huge faith in Andrei Arshavin and has supported him completely during his bad patch. But if he does not sign before the summer, then Wenger will be in a dilemma whether or not to offer him the contract he desires. If Arshavin decides not to extend his contract in the summer, it is conceivable that Wenger might cash in on the Russian star in order to recoup the £15 million that they spent on him.

If Arshavin is allowed to leave, so does Wenger sign a new player or looks to other Arsenal players like Carlos Vela and Theo Walcott to fill the void left by the departure of the influential Russian.

Should Arsene Wenger sign the £15 million rated youngster Eden Hazard?

Belgium International Eden Hazard is rated very highly by many experts and managers and is undeniably very talented. The tricky Lille winger is only 19 and has a long way to go in his career. There are many clubs who are tracking the progress of Hazard and will look to sign him. He apparently turned down a £12 million offer from Chelsea and said that he will be interested to move to a club which could provide good opportunities to youngsters like Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger is also reportedly looking to sign the youngster and with Manchester United allegedly joining the race, it is important that he makes the right offer if he decides to secure the services of the Belgium winger. Hazard will most probably be interested to sign the winger; so whether or not Wenger decides to sign him is the question.

Are Theo Walcott, Jay Emmanuel Thomas and Carlos Vela ready to replace Andrei Arshavin?

Theo Walcott is one of the most highly rated youngsters at Arsenal and having been in the spotlight from a very young age, he has been under pressure to perform all his career. But having been dropped from the England squad in the World Cup, he has had time to relax and develop without much pressure.

He was superb at the start of the season and his injury on international duty was rather unfortunate and sidelined him for around six weeks. However he has subsequently recovered from his injury, he has not been able to establish himself in the team because of the form of Samir Nasri and Wenger's reluctance to remove Arshavin from the starting line-up.

Carlos Vela is another youngster who has not enjoyed too much playing time this season and has been frustrated by not even been named amongst the substitutes in a number of games. He can be effective on the wings or in the centre and Wenger could decide to give him more playing time in the future if Arshavin does leave.

Jay Emmanuel Thomas can consider himself rather unlucky that he has still not had too many minutes on the field despite impressing greatly in the reserves. He can play in a number of positions and has been successful for the reserves as a winger.

Wenger could trust these youngsters to do the job if Arshavin leaves and could spend the money to reinforce some other areas. Arshavin brings with him a lot of experience which is important for the Gunners who have a young side which is why Wenger is interested in renewing the contract of Arshavin. The Russian midfielder's inconsistency presents a big dilemma for the French tactician and being an intelligent manager, his decision could be important in shaping up the future for the Gunnners.

Arsenal Transfer Prospects: Should Arsene Wenger make a move for West Ham midfielder Scott Parker?

Arsenal have always played good attractive football but do not have a good hard tackler since the days of Patrick Vieira though Song is doing a decent job in his position. Wenger was linked with a move to bring defensive midfielder Scott Parker to the Emirates but the rumors did not last long and it was their rivals Spurs who were heavily linked with a move for the Englishman.

Scott Parker is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League, who has been a very consistent performer for West Ham United for the last couple of seasons. Parker had an unsuccessful stint with Chelsea but apart from that, he has been performing at the highest level in the Premier League. He is one of the Hammers' most important players and Parker is one of the main reasons why they are still competing in the Premier League.

Parker has rather been unfortunate to have made only three appearances for England and was chucked out of the initial 30-member squad with Fabio Capello never really giving him a fair chance to prove his credentials. However, it has not deterred him from performing superbly in the Premiership and has been integral to the Hammers, so far in this season.

He is a defensive midfielder and is one who is fearless in making strong challenges. His commitment and passion makes him an asset for any team and he can inspire the team to perform better.

His experience in the Premiership is invaluable to a team like Arsenal and he can provide a great shield to the rather weak defence of the Gunners. Also, he can score rasping long range strikes and will provide another option for the Gunners, who are excellent in their intricate play.

Parker is someone who will bring in a lot of toughness in the squad and will be unfazed in any situation. He has a good technique and playing in defensive midfield, he can be a great asset to the Gunners. He has been loyal to the Hammers but an offer from Arsenal is bound to tempt him. He has not played Champions League football in a long time and the Gunners would do well to have Parker's industrious abilities in the midfield.

At the age of 30, there is probably another three to four years for the midfielder and though he might cost around £8 to 10 million, if the midfielder can bring trophies to the Emirates, then it is worth the price. Besides, Wenger could actually sell one of Denilson or Diaby to make space for Parker because Song is more than capable of playing in a slightly advanced role.

Younsters Emmanuel Frimpong and Craig Eastmond are highly rated by the manager and they would be guided well by Parker, who is one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premiership.

It may not seem a necessity to buy a defensive midfielder for Wenger but he must realise that there is no proper cover for Alex Song and also against some tough teams, employing the double pivot formation with Song and Parker could provide the license for Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri to go further forward.

Besides, Parker possesses good attacking qualities and can be a leader in midfield. He will challenge for all loose balls and make good interceptions to stop counter-attacks. Parker will provide a lot of fight in the midfield and do his best to shield the centre-backs.

He may cost around £10 million, but in my opinion, signing him will prove to be superb for the Gunners, who can recoup some of the cost by the sale of Denilson, who has not fulfilled his potential at Arsenal.

Though Wenger has admired Parker's tenacity in the middle of the park, it is unlikely that he will sign him because he will not come at a bargain and he will not lose faith in his youngsters. He will believe Denilson will be a world class player and Frimpong and Eastmond can be an able replacements for Song.

Parker is likely to be interested by the move to London considering he is into the last phase of his career and he would like to be playing Champions League football on a regular basis.

Arsenal lead the race to sign Connor Wickham while Carlos Vela moves closer to Arsenal exit

Arsene Wenger refused to rule out January signings when questioned and said that he would sign a player if he was available at the right price and would add quality to the squad. Arsenal are a club which have developed many youngsters to help them realize their potential which makes the club an attractive destination for youngsters.

Connor Wickham is only 17 years old and is rated highly by his manager Roy Keane and many other clubs. The young Englishman has already made several appearances for his side Ipswich Town, who will be meeting Arsenal in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup. The Striker was also recently called up by Stuart Pearce to represent England's U-21 team.

The tall Englishman has enjoyed great success for England U-17 and has been tipped for greater success in the future. The English striker has not scored too many for Ipswich Town but has not started too many games either and certainly has a lot of time on his side. He has to develop further and could be an England International in the future.

According to reports, Liverpool have made an approach for the Englishman but Wickham is said to prefer a move to North London with both Arsenal and Tottenham competing for his signature. Arsenal are allegedly leading the chase to sign him and could sign him by the start of the 2010-11 season.

Arsenal have an excellent manager in Arsene Wenger who has helped many youngsters develop at the club and has provided them opportunities in the first team. Wickham has got good talent and is sure to progress at the club. The tall Ipswich Town striker could prefer Arsenal over other clubs because of their history in developing good young players.

Arsene Wenger has given lot of opportunities to young players like Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere to progress at the club but talented youngster Carlos Vela has not made the squad in the recent games and is said to be disappointed by that. He is currently the fourth choice striker behind Nicklas Bendtner, Robin van Persie and Marouane Chamakh and he has got starts only in the Carling Cup games.

Carlos Vela had a successful loan spell in Spain in his early years at Arsenal and could consider a move to the La Liga. Espanyol are said to be interested in acquiring his services and Wenger could let the striker leave if the right offer comes his way. The Mexican International is undoubtedly talented but has very less opportunities this season and at the age of 21, he needs to be playing regularly.

Arsenal are on the look-out for good young players of the future and have already signed Samuel Galindo, Wellington Silva and Ryo Miyaichi with an eye for the future. Connor Wickham could the latest addition to that list if Wenger decides the spend the required money to acquire the services of the young Striker.