Arsenal: Wenger's last minute transfer window shopping list

Yohan Cabaye

The wonderful Yohan Cabaye has been an elusive commodity for quite some time now. Also being pursued by Paris St. Germain, the playmaker was picked up by the Magpies for a measly £4.8 million from Lille, two years ago. He quickly exhibited his prowess in the middle, taking Newcastle United to fifth in the table, adding the Europa Cup to the possibilities.

But Cabaye was quiet last year, and that showed in the 16 place finish, just 5 points clear of the dreaded relegation zone. An initial bid of £10.2 million was rubbished quickly by manager Alan Pardew, but he still chose to drop the player, citing the disrupting effect of the bid on the player. An upped £12 million bid is also doing the rounds, but PSG are already outbidding Wenger by £8 million. Arsenal certainly need players in the middle, but they need a midfielder who can double up as stopper.

A central defensive midfielder is ideal, and must be steely enough to assist the backline, adding another layer of defense to the 4-1-4-1. Cabaye is very similar to the talent Arsenal have, like Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Jack Wilshere and even the injured Mikael Arteta. Instead of picking up players who mirror existing players, Wenger needs to help add to their ability by putting out a squad that is water-tight, at least on paper.