#1 Karim Benzema

In anticipation of the summer, I'm starting a list of most wanted signings for anyone who is bored of the usual crap we get from the press.

I'll start at the top.

Rebuilding From The Back

We must get a full time contract negotiator - it is getting silly now. Since D Dein left, we've lacked someone to help Wenger in this respect. This is one of the major reasons we failed to sign the players we needed this season.

I'm sure this will be put right in the summer.

Then onto who to sign?

Well our defence needs a truely commanding centerback. We've needed this since Sol Campbell left - I've always argued that we never really replaced him. Next on the agenda is to sort out our cover at right back. Loosing Diarra who was class in both CM and RB may have cost us 50% of our season, selling him was a huge blow. I like Hoyte as a person, but I have serious doubts as to his capability to play at the top level.

Verdict: CB and RB needed.

Next the midfield. Eboue must go - He is not a winger - end of. Walcott has been the only bright note of the last ten games - he is now really starting to prove his worth. Theo must now be given his chance to play full games, because he gets so many assists, I still see him as a right-sided forward on a 4-3-3 or a winger - not a central striker. Next on the left wing, we have Carlos Vela coming in, AW has already said he will go straight into the squad. But he is still young and will probably take time to settle, at least he will cover for the injury prone Rosicky. So our midfield I think is ok, though we will need to sign Flamini having missed out on Diarra. If we loose Flam, then we should try to resign Diarra (unless Denilson is ready). I still think Flam will stay.

Verdict: maybe one additional wide player, esp if Walcott plays up top next season.

Up front. Here I think Ade with 27 goals has done enough to claim he is good enough. Remember he too is very young at 23. He has improved this season and there is no suggestions that he will not continue to do so. Adebayor's height means he is a aerial threat and his long legs and energy levels mean he can tackle well. His finishing still needs work as does his work wide as does the timing of his runs. So up front we have Ade, RVP (injury prone), Bendtner (not yet ready) and (Walcott - our only genuine pacey striker) (I don't see Eduardo featuring much next season). Ade is fast but his acceleration is very different to say a Henry or Torres - who are quick and can turn at full pelt. Walcott pace up front has recently shown what we are missing.

Verdict: 1 Striker with real pace and finishing (for me this is only one choice - Benzema).

So next season, this is what I would like to see. Flamini can provide the extra defensive cover on the right:

Sagna---Toure/Gallas--Naldo/---Clichy/Traore

Flamin----Fabregas/Hleb-----Rosicky/Vela

Walcott---Ade/RVP---Benzema

Walcott - winger or striker?

I think Walcott was also trying to send a message to Eboue and the manager? Think how many of those draws could have been turned into wins?

Just a thought...

There are question marks about his capability to defend for a whole match, if started on the right wing; but going forward there is no question he offers what Arsenal have lack pace, directness and width. His crossing is also arguably better than that offered by Hleb, Eboue or either of the full backs.

I'm glad to hear AW sounding out Ben Arfa - we need competition on the wings (esp if Walcott is seen as a future striker) - he is currently our most threatening attacker through the middle of the park.

Can Adebayor discover the Drogba in him - instead of trying to be a pale imitation of Henry?

Adebayorcould be more effective if he left the wide play and looked to his best
attributes - size, pace, and aerial ability. I seriously thought when
he scored that spate of headded goals he was finally learning where his
strengths lie.

But you have to feel sorry for the big man, theservice from out wide has been poor for two seasons (since thecole-pires-henry partnership was broken up). I can see what Ade has in
his mind - but really someone else should be running down the wide channels and Ade should be charging into the box (a tall man with, pace and a great jump is a monumental threat).

10-15m would havebrought us 1 winger, 1 defender and that would have been enough to save
our season. Why did we buy Diaby, Denilson and Diarra if we had Flamini and Fabregas (and Gilberto) but only Hleb and Rosicky wide? I think we missed out on transfers - this will come out in the next few years when wenger says I bid for so-and-so but I wouldn't pay more than a couple of million, so the opportunity passed....(sound familiar?). Personally, I think Ferguson would never have left himself in such a position. The only way Arsenal would have won the title this year would have been to get out of all other competitions in the first rounds leaving the squad to focus on the league.

It is a real shame as now - we are looking at 30-40m to get the top level players in the summer - if we are going to really push for the title... frankly, I can't see that happening. If we want Ben Arfa - we will have to pay the going rate.

Luke Freeman Signs For Arsenal

So Arsenal sign Luke Freeman from Gillingham for a fee of 250,000 Million pounds up front possibly rising to 2 million on appearances.

On the player Arsene Wenger had to say:

“Yes, we will be pushing it through,” said the manager when asked about the Freeman deal. “I want to buy English,” he added with a smile.

“I met the boy and I like him. He has personality and he looks alert. He’s a striker and to play in a first team at 15 years of age is something special.

“We were quite well on the case and we are very positive that we will find an agreement with the club without going to compensation. We will pay them a transfer.”

From the image below he certainly seems very physically developed for aged 15 - perhaps in the mold of Bojan Krkic. The premise is he will go into the U-18s side as the likes of Barazite are now knocking on the door of the reserves and Carling Cup squads.

Hype will follow any young English player at the club and perhaps in hindsight of his comments on 'Theo Walcott and the England team', perhaps to temper this Wenger intimated his uncertainty of the development from talented youth to club star:

“Will they be professional footballers at Arsenal? I don’t know. The more you go down [in ages] the greater the margin of error. Sometimes you see a player at 13 and you think ‘absolutely amazing’ then two years later he has disappeared.

ENGLISH FOOTSAL SYMPTOMATIC OF TECHNICAL ILLNESS

The dearth of good technical players in England was pointed out to me by a friend as we recently watched a footsal game. I know this topic has been done, dusted with only the Alan Shearers of this world to be convinced. But the technical level of the game in this country is in a shocking state.

I never played footsal, but heard about it around 1999 - a game developed in South America which emphasised the more technical aspects of football (played with a small flat ball, and penalties for successive fouls over the first 5). However, I was still rather shocked today to learn that England had only recently won their first international game, over the mighty Greece - after some pretty horrendous spankings.

I personally have no love for the FA in this country. Any organisation who put the likes of Mark Palios in charge, syphon off youth development money into money spinning Wembley, fail to win anything on the international scene (40 years and counting) and always are ready to shun the blame, will carry no favour with me. However if something isn't done soon - even the training academies of Arsenal (yes you read correctly) will not be able to save the national team in the next few years.

Who has the keys to my Benzema?

Karim Benzema, the French teenager who thrilled in Lyon's Champions League victory at Ibrox last week, says he will stay with the club until they win the elite tournament.

The 19-year-old striker, likened in style to Thierry Henry has taken Ligue 1 by storm this season, and alerted Europe's top clubs to one of football's most exciting new talents. Arsenal, AC Milan and Real Madrid are all tracking Benzema; and while he will not rule out a big-money move in future, he insists he will not leave until Lyon lift the Champions League trophy.

"I have a contract with Lyon until 2012, and I've always told [Lyon president Jean-Michel] Aulas I will stay with the club at least until we win the Champions League," Benzema told RTL radio Thursday.

Lyon qualified for the last 16 knockout phase for the fifth consecutive year Wednesday, although it took a win at Rangers fuelled by Benzema's magnificent brace to seal their passage.

Benzema added: "There are still a lot of things I want to achieve at Lyon. Afterwards, we'll see."

NO RETURNING PLAYERS FOR 'BORO GAME

The squad is facing testing times, with a fixtures blitz that would rock even the first team. Arsenal are looking likely to face most of the first half of December without several key players. Wenger does not expect to have his injured players back for Sunday's trip to Middlesbrough.

Mathieu Flamini (thigh), Alex Hleb (hamstring), Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Robin van Persie (knee) all missed the 1-1 draw at Newcastle on Wednesday night and none of that quartet are likely to be involved when Arsenal return to the North East.

"No Fabregas, no Hleb, no Van Persie, no Flamini will be back for the weekend," said Wenger in his post-match press conference at St. James' Park.

This is a blow to the main creative element of the side, considering the poor performance of Gilberto and the rawness of Diarra against Newcastle. I'm not suggesting we can't beat Middlesbrough, who are a team struggling, just with the clear imbalance in the squad Arsenal may still find this fixture costly if we loose or draw as Manu are more-or-less back to full strength and face Derby at home. After that, we should expect to start getting players back either for the Bucharest game or certainly for the Chelsea game at home. Manu play Liverpool away and the results of that weekend could prove to be a turning point in the season...If we still have our 4 point advantage after this then expect title talk to follow.

In other news the SUN suggests Arsene has decided to take his option up on signing Tresor Mputu. The new Sammy Eto'o will cost a paltry 500K and at 21 years old, would be certainly be in consideration for the first team squad...

STRENGTH IN DEPTH? OR IN TOO DEEP?

December is going to be a long slog.. And injuries are coming thick and fast and to key personnel. Robin van Persie is still injured (despite the manager saying he was very close to a return last week), Fabregas is almost certain to be rested, and the ever present Clichy is out too. On the upshot, Flamini returns, so does Gallas and Adebayor will lead the attack. Villa are also without key dangerman Gabby Agbonlahor.

My take on this is after the decent performance in the Champions league Traore will probably play, alternatively Diarra might be pressed into the right-back and Sagna swapped over to cover on the left. The focus of the Villa attack will naturally be the huge frame of John Carew, and the tricky wing play and crosses of Ashley Young. Experience will ideally be required across the back four and Gallas's willpower to win will be a great boost.

Make no mistake we need to win this one! Arsenal have probably been the most injury hit of the Big Four in the last 4-5 weeks and we have been haemorrhaging squad players. Manchester United, although they have lost Rooney, have failed to rest most of their squad and the packed fixture list will put us back into an advantageous position over December, if we can build a 6 point lead on them - an opportunity that shouldn't be squandered.

If I were Wenger my squad to face Villa would be something like this:

-----------Almunia

Diarra---Kolo----Gallas----Sagna

Eboue/Walcott--Denilson---Flamini---Rosicky

--------Ade-------Eduardo

I'd go for experience in defence, Diarra is a very good Right Back although not his preferred position. Sagna can play Left Back and is basically a very good defender. I'd plum for Walcott or start with Eboue, and put Walcott on if we lack penetration. I think if we play Eduardo he should come in as a striker NOT a Right Winger/Forward..which he is clearly not. I've deliberatly gone for 4-4-2 but suspect the manager might bring in Gilberto and go 4-5-1.

CARLOS VELA TO GO INTO FIRST TEAM IN 2008-9

Arsène Wenger expects young Mexican Carlos Vela to be a part of his first-team squad next season.

The Mexican, who starred in the Under-17s World Cup in 2005, signed from Guadalajara in January and is spending this season on loan at Spanish side Osasuna. He has one goal and one assist in three La Liga starts so far.

But although he is out of sight the youngster - who hit eight goals for Spanish Second Division Salamanca last season - is hardly out of Arsène Wenger’s mind.

Wenger said:

“We scout him every week when he plays,” “He can apply for a passport in March and normally he will start with us next summer.

“He will straight away be with the first-team and after that it is up to him to get a place in the side.

“I sent him to Spain because he comes from a Mexican culture and it is easier to adapt in Europe. He has what we like here at Arsenal. He is a good passer of the ball and a finisher. He has that intelligent movement with very good technique and great pace.”

With a great reputation as both a creator and scorer of goals. It may not be too long before Arsenal fans are harking back to the memories of a certain recently 'departed' striker.

In other news, Fabregas is reportedly going to be out for the next 10 days or so, missing the Villa, Newcastle and Middlesbrough games. Well that's better than him being out for Chelsea, Blackburn and Tottenham...so I suppose that's the silver lining and all.

And finally, the mail reports that we are in a two way battle with spurs for Bayen Munich striker Luca Toni (though with target men Bendtner and Ade I would give this story zippo creedance)...

MPUTU GOAL + THE FUNNIEST GOAL CELEBRATION EVER!!

Tresor Mputu's goal, but that's not the funniest bit, have a look at the goalie's celebration...so funny...surly that must hurt your arse?

Wenger seems impressed, and although the Congolese is not yet signed, experience shows that most signings published onto the website usually get offered a contract. The question is at 20, Mputu is clearly being signed with the first team in mind, which would bring our tally of strikers to 6 (Mputu + Bendtner, Ade, Walcott, RVP, and Eduardo).

WENGER: PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

I must confess, I laughed when I saw this. Arsene on the FA's predicament:

“I am always happy to help if I can,” he told Arsenal.com. “I am not sure I am really gifted for that but if they want to know my opinion - and it is a confidential one - then I am always happy.”

“If I was English then of course [I’d be interested],” he said. “But I am not so it is a ‘no’. That is in line with what I have always said. In my opinion, the England manager should be English.”

Wenger's a sly one. With every English and British manager not so quietly sticking two fingers up at the FA, they will be forced to look for a foreigner (the irony here is so beautiful). As they were so keen to ask Wenger to have English player quotas, then surely they won't mind if Wenger asks the same of them - English manager quotas? Now with Arsene Wenger saying they should hire an Englishman Fatso Brian Barwick and his cronies must be sweating blood...that's going to put them in a tight spot..n'est pa?

That said, Arsene must have a sympathetic bone in his body, because if they'll need someone who really knows his shit if they are to get the right man for the job, it might even take AW's endorsement to get him to accept. Let's face it even with the ton of money on offer, it's hardly like top coaches around the world are beating down the doors of Soho Square?

Oh yeah, If anyone hasn't heard Craig Johnston's brilliant interview then you can read the transcript here - typical it takes a Auzzie to tell it like it is. (video link)