Will Wenger replace Adebayor?

Emmanuel Adebayor’s move to Eastlands will have certainly boosted Arsene Wenger’s transfer kitty, but should the Frenchman splash the cash on a direct replacement for the Togo striker?

Most Arsenal fans were growing tired of the constant speculation surrounding Adebayor’s transfer, but once it was confirmed, attentions turned to two questions: who can replace him – or more importantly – does he need replacing at all?

In terms of strikers, on paper the Gunners appear to have plenty of options: Robin van Persie, Eduardo and Nicklas Bendtner with Carlos Vela also available. Yet the prospect of Wenger not bringing in more firepower before the season commences would seem strange, but not all that surprising.

The north London side have been linked with a host of players so far this summer. Klaus Jan Huntelaar and Marouane Chamakh are among the names to be freely littered across the back pages.

Wenger, however, has thus far failed to land any of his striking targets. And although it may disappoint some Gunners fans, it would probably not be a huge surprise if the Frenchman ended up not bringing in another forward.

Earlier this month Arsenal lost out to Juventus in their quest to secure the services of the Brazilian defensive midfielder, Filipe Melo.

And it’s the holding midfield role that so desperately needs filling at Emirates Stadium. Wenger has to prioritise his transfer dealings, and must surely look to bring in a more defensive-minded midfielder ahead of a new striker.

Mathieu Flamini’s departure to AC Milan last season left a gaping hole in central midfield. So much so, that it could be argued that Arsenal missed Flamini more last season than Thierry Henry when he left the year before.

To Wenger’s credit, he has chosen to strengthen his side defensively through the addition of former Ajax captain, centre back Thomas Vermaelen. But one can’t help but feel that the Gunners are still lacking a midfield ball-winner like Flamini – a role that Melo would have been able to assume.

With Kolo Toure’s imminent transfer to Manchester City set to bring the Gunners a reported £16 million, there can surely be no shortage of transfer funds in north London.

So whilst it is fairly obvious that Wenger needs to bring some names in this summer, a defensive midfielder should surely be his immediate priority. The question is: who is the man for the job?

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