Should we sell Song? By SV
I’m sure you’ve all heard that Barcelona are reportedly tracking Alex Song. I’m not quite sure what to make of the reports myself, as while they did just lose Seydou Keita, they do still have two great defensive midfielders in Mascherano and Busquets. But what this article really focuses on is that, if we get a really competitive offer for Songinho (say £20m), should we sell him?
There are arguments which say that we should. To start with, there is, obviously, the money. Despite Man City inflating prices, a figure like 20m is nothing to be sniffed at. We could do plenty with that sort of cash. Perhaps sign another Santi Cazorla (I hear that reliable sources say the deal is close), or a couple of Mikel Artetas? And especially with a manager like Arsene Wenger, there is no player who is irreplaceable.
Some people also say that Song should be sold because he doesn’t fit into our system. They argue that Song’s attacking tendencies aren’t what we need from a player in his position; they maintain that we should sell Song (as good a player as he is) and invest in a pure destructor, who will simply sit and break up play.
I, however, am strongly against the sale of Alex Song. His current contract expires in 2014 (although some people, confusingly, say it expires next summer), and I reckon we should be doing everything in our power to make him stay. To counteract the above arguments, I say this:
First off, even though every club needs a successful business side, the first priority must always be long term future of the footballing side. And a player like Alex Song, who is integral to our midfield – having appeared 46 times for us last season – is needed for silverware. In the end, silverware is the best way for a club to regain its investment; trophies come with not only prize money, but also an increased profile for the club and a worldwide brand. So some of these moves can be justified financially. And before you say anything, it’s completely different with Man City, as they pay almost £150m per year for transfers, an amount which cannot realistically be paid back with trophies.
Secondly, I think that Alex Song’s defensive abilities are too harshly criticised. I admit that he can overcomplicate things and lose possession, or go forward when he shouldn’t, but I think that these are only tactical errors which can be ironed out relatively quickly. In fact, this season, with more of our attacking midfielders back, Song will be told to curb that attacking tendency slightly. And as a defensive midfielder, Song is excellent. He is unbelievably strong (praised by TV5 as our strongest player) and is terrific in one on ones. His fitness has also improved in recent years, so he remains effective throughout the 90.
Best of all, however, is that Song loves the club. And we want as many of those kinds of players in the squad as possible. I found this quote from Song, made in 2010:
“We know our fans want a trophy and we are very close to winning something. My message to our fans is: Believe in us. This team will get better. I am at the right club. Forget Barcelona, Arsenal is the best club. Arsenal have given me everything and I love this place. If I had to leave I would break down and cry. It’s still my dream to win the league here.”
Case and point. I’ll see you tomorrow.
If you liked this article, you can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SVGunner
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