Why Alexis Sanchez may not be enough to placate Arsenal fans

Article by e-Arsenal's Neil Leverett

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With the signing of Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a reported £35m, Arsenal have made a clear statement of intent to follow up the capture of Mesut Ozil in the final days of last summer's transfer window. With deals for Mathieu Debuchy and Loic Remy in the pipeline, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger - beside honing his skills on Copacobana beach - and Ivan Gazidis have been busy little bees. And it is a welcome change to scrabbling around in August when teams have completed pre-season training. However in spite of one of greatest coups in completing the deal for Alexis, Wenger has more work to do, to appease disgruntled fans.

Especially in the light of Cesc Fabregas' move to London rivals Chelsea last month. It was an occurence difficult to stomach for many Arsenal fans to see their beloved former captain and hero make the switch to join Jose Mourinho after Wenger turned down the opportunity to re-sign his former captain. Whatever the reason was be it an unnecessary luxury or the Arsenal boss's pride in not wanting to bring back - who in many people's eyes saw Fabregas as his footballing son - one who flew the nest, Wenger had work to do make it up the many thousands of Gooners who were crying out to bring Cesc back home.

Fast forward a month to mid-July and Arsene Wenger has pulled off argaubly his second biggest coup in the capture of the Chilean who lit up the World Cup. Whatever his detractors say about the Frenchman, the 64-year old still has the sort of managerial clout others can only dream of. It happened with Ozil, again with Sanchez and the legacy of Wenger means it will likely happen again. Since it was rumoured, the signing of Alexis Sanchez has had Gooners (like me) and many other foaming at the mouth at the sheer anticipation of seeing Alexi in the new Puma kit, right up until late of Thursday when it was finally confirmed after days of anxiety after Higuain-gate of last summer. Sanchez will bring something in an out-and-out-forward Arsenal have lacked since Thierry Henry's departure. It is likely Wenger attempt to mould Sanchez from the winger/attacker he is it a forward role as he did with Henry.

So Arsenal may well be building a side with goals from every direction, but there still remains the concerns from a defensive point of view. During last term the Gunners shipped 17 goals on their travels versus the other top four teams last campaign. It was a huge concern. As Joachim Loew knew Per Mertesacker does not have the pace to keep out the forwards of this generation and accordingly replaced him with Jerome Boateng this World Cup. For Arsene Wenger, the option of keeping Mertesacker out of the team is not really an option. Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny combined to make one of the most formidable defensive units last season, despite the tank nature of the German and two will be the two at the back this season also. With the likely inclusion of Debuchy and Kieran Gibbs, who both lack defensive nouse, the Gunners will have to adopt their style of play.

This is where the inclusion of a a complete central defensive midfielder would assist the three time Premier League champions under Wenger. But that is a not a surprise. Not one bit. Arsenal have been bereft of an individual that could look after the back four and provide enough impetus going forward to make a difference. Patrick Vieira did it; Emmanuel Petit did it; Abou Diaby was meant to do it. Mikel Arteta sure as heck doesn't do it. This is where the reported move for one of Morgan Schneiderlin, Sami Khedira and Lars Bender comes crucially into play.

Arsene Wenger will be desperate to add one of those three to his ranks. Many even two. Schneiderlin was one of Southampton's most influential players in 2013/14. Khedira despite suffering a knee injury in late January was still a focal point of the Real Madrid line and indeed his absence was a big reason as to why their city rivals Atletico pipped them to La Liga. Khedira's presence alone gives a side an aura of confidence and solidity. Khedira has reportedly rejected a new contract at the Bernabeu and in the light of Arsenal German generation may have been swayed by a move to London however his reported wage demands will be a stumbling block. Bender - who was forced to pull out of the Germany squad due to injury - has just sign a new deal with Bayer Leverkusen and his club remains staunch with their position of 'not for sale'. Therefore Schneiderlin would be a more likely alternative. Whomever it may be, a solid defensive holder is vital to prevent future away maulings for the Gunners.

If Germany go on to win the World Cup this weekend, there is the distinct possibility of Arsenal having four World Cup winners in their midst. It would be a monumental platform to mount a title challenge certainly in the wake of Alexis Sanchez' move to North London. Other moves for Colombian keeper David Ospina are apparently close and with the new Puma deal now commencing and with the stadium debt now almost paid off, Arsenal Football Club can finally begin to flex their financial muscles after years of austerity. The Sanchez deal may be one of many big-name additions for Gooners to enjoy in the coming months, but these need to be as carefully thought out and planned as the Sanchez deal.

Cesc Fabregas may soon be a memory of the past but Arsenal still have much work to do to form Arsenal into a invincibles-like unit and to finally make their long-suffering fans happy.

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