According to Goal.com, Mikel Arteta has agreed a contract extension with Arsenal that will see him continue in the club until 2016. The terms of the contract stipulate that he would be entitled to an extension for a further year if he is able to notch up a certain amount of appearances next season.
While many Arsenal fans may not look at this news with excitement or relief, Arsene Wenger certainly rates the Spaniard very highly, so much that he made him the captain after the departure of Thomas Vermaelen. In fact, Wenger looks at Arteta as the person that would ensure that the team understands his tactical plan and executes it on the pitch.
Also, Artetaai??i??s importance to the team becomes noticeable every time he is out injured as the side seem to have a particular affinity towards defensive disasters whenever he is not playing. While he may not be the fastest, he is certainly tactically aware as well as ensures that the rest of the team are disciplined.
In other news, Arsene Wenger seems to be going by the idea that no one can teach Arsenal players any defending and so instead is looking to add more firepower to the team. According to the Mirror, Arsenal have opened talks with Romaai??i??s striker Mattia Destro, the 20 million rated Italian.
Destro has had some impressive performances for Roma and he was widely tipped to sign for Chelsea in the new year. However, if the Metro is to be believed, it seems Arsene Wenger has taken a shine for the 22 year old and wants to bring him to Arsenal. The youngster has a lot of pace to burn and he comes with the added skill of actually being to able to finish moves with a goal. In 49 games for Roma, he has scored 22 goals, and thatai??i??s more than a decent return for a player of his age.
Setting aside the fact that there has not been a successful Italian player at Arsenal since God knows when, the more important question to ask is if this is the right approach to take in January. One can only assume that the only reason Wenger is even considering a striker is because Lukas Podolski has finally given up and has made it known to the manager that heai??i??ll be leaving in January. If that is the case, then getting a youngster makes sense. However, if such a signing is not tempered with defensive reinforcements, you can be sure to hear more howls from the Arsenal crowd and there will demand for someoneai??i??s head.
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