Is Di Maria what Arsenal need right now?

After a frustrating transfer window which has seen no major arrivals, Arsenal fans must be hoping that the reports of Di Maria’s arrival to the Emirates is true. According to reports from the UK, Real Madrid have accepted a bid for the Argentine international from Arsenal and only personal terms have to be agreed for the move to go through.

With the imminent arrival of Gareth Bale and with Cristiano Ronaldo already at the club, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to find out that Di Maria’s playing time will be limited. And with this being a World Cup year, Di Maria isn’t likely to take any chances and would be more than welcome towards a move away from the Bernabeu, if it increases his chances of representing Argentina ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Without a shadow of doubt, Di Maria is a class athlete, who would no doubt boost the morale of an Arsenal squad crying out for some stardust. So, how and where does Di Maria fit in, to the Arsenal ranks?

As a winger, Angel Di Maria’s greatest attribute is his ability with the ball at his feet, especially his innate ability to dribble past defenders as if they aren’t even there, and play the right ball at the right time. His direct style of play means that he uses the space in front of him to great effect, often relying on his pace and skill to bypass the onrushing opponent. And with more than 50 assists in his three seasons with Real, Di Maria is a dangerous player on the break, especially with his lightning quick feet.

On the face of it, with an attack already consisting of Walcott, Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Di Maria might look like he is surplus to requirements. But with his ability to get in behind the fullback on either flank and also cut inside and play centrally, he will no doubt add some variety to the attack. If Wenger lets him play to his strengths, then his pace and trickery would no doubt draw defenders towards him and would leave a few players open.

And an Arsenal attack with Walcott on one flank with Di Maria on the other, and the powerful Giroud in the middle, will definitely be one that not many defenses will enjoy playing against. And if Arsene does sign him, he will be the marquee player that the fans have been clamoring for. Especially so close to the end of the transfer window, it’s hard to imagine Wenger landing a player better suited to the Arsenal cause than di Maria, who is both available and isn’t extremely expensive.

Whilst it is fairly common knowledge, Arsene Wenger’s philosophy of passing football will no doubt take some getting used to, it might just be a little more tricky for Di Maria. With just 72 % of his passes being completed, Di Maria isn’t perhaps the greatest of passers and can be found wanting at times, especially due to the fact that his game is based largely on short bursts of pace as opposed to the long bouts of build-up that Arsenal are renowned for.

Although the 25-year-old’s responsibilities as a winger mean that such an attribute isn’t considered a priority, the other Arsenal wingers all managed to have at least 80% and that is one thing that Arsenal must be wary of.

While the transfers of players such as Bale might blow these figures out of proportion, £26 million is still a lot of money and it looks a little too much for someone with not too many goals to show for himself. But in the current climate, thanks to the inflation of the transfer market, it seems like that is the going rate for footballers these days and Arsenal would do well to sign him up and not let him go, like others before him.