Cazorla to Arsenal? How the Spanish midfielder can be a key signing for Wenger.

Santi Cazorla is being heavily linked to Arsenal

With the Robin Van Persie saga seemingly dragging on, despite his latest statement, the attention now turns to how the squad may cope with his potential departure. In recent days the club has been strongly linked with Spain international midfielder Santi Cazorla. So who is this midfielder and how will he fit into the Arsenal?

This man may be on the fringes of the Spain team, but there’s no shame in being a fringe player of such a great team who have won an unprecedented three international trophies on the trot. The versatile midfielder made his mark in the last two EURO tournaments, impressing the likes of Real Madrid. He missed the 2010 World Cup however, with a hernia injury.

Cazorla has been tracked by Wenger since the beginning of last summer, and with good reason. He seems like your typical Wenger signing. Wenger loves players with technical ability for one, but also loves players who can play a variety of positions. Cazorla fits the bill. He is naturally ambidextrous, meaning he can play both right and left footed. This is a distinct advantage as he can easily play on either flank, He also has the ability to play centrally. He’s known for versatility, speed, shooting ability and ability to change the rhythm of gameplay. All these points tick Wenger’s boxes, but particularly that last point is one we need. Too many times last season when Arteta wasn’t playing our passing game was all over the place. There was a sense of panic in our game, looking for that killer ball too early without Arteta to slow down the pace. We only won 1 out of 7 games without Arteta. I’m not saying Cazorla will be in Arteta’s role, far from it, but I’m only emphasising the importance of having a player who has the ability to slow down, or press on with the game when appropriate.

In terms of the Arsenal squad, he’ll provide depth on the wings, especially if Arshavin leaves. He’ll certainly provide some much needed pressure to the likes of Walcott and Gervinho on the wings who were inconsistent last season.

Malaga was initially reluctant to sell, but recent reports of their financial problems, as well as Cazorla’s desire to join the Gunners mean the deal is likely to go ahead. What do you think about this potential signing?

Tagged as: Arsenal, Arsenal blog, Emirates, EURO, fee, Malaga, Santi Cazorla, Spain, transfer window, Wenger, winger