Arsenal: Moussa Dembele Arsene Wenger’s Last Great Act

Moussa Dembele is being linked with a move to Arsenal. The Celtic striker, if signed, would be the last great act of Arsene Wenger and his youthful signings.

The transfer market is something that Arsene Wenger has been sheepish of in the past. He has been criticised for being hesitant, unwilling to heavily invest like many of his rivals, failing to ever be aggressive in acquiring the biggest names and the best talent for Arsenal football club.

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While all of those shortcomings are frustratingly true – though they can be explained and reasoned to some degree – Wenger is also adept at identifying young talent. There are numerous examples of young, talented players that Wenger brought to North London in which he saw something to nurture and develop.

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Kolo Toure, Robin Van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Hector Bellerin, Theo Walcott. The names go on and so does the success. Although there are clearly players who have not delivered on their expectations, Francis Jeffers is perhaps the most famous example, Wenger is acutely aware of the abilities that young players must boast if they are to grow into established, first team members.

Now, there is another name that has entered the fray and it is a very exciting one indeed. Moussa Dembele of Celtic is a highly touted figure. One of the hottest strikers in Europe – this statement should be tempered by the fact that he is playing in the Scottish league – he is attracting the interest of many of the biggest clubs in the world. Arsenal are one of these.

Wenger is a fan of his talents and his achievements and may be willing to invest in acquiring his services. This season since joining Celtic from Fulham, the young striker has progressed to score 12 goals in 14 league starts, including two back-to-back hat-tricks just this past week, and scored three in the Champions League earlier in the year.

His blend of pace and power, combined with intelligent movement off the ball, especially in running in behind and stretching the team down the wide channels, make him a nightmare to defend against. He is a livewire in the box, neat in his link up play and still only 20 years of age.

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If Wenger was able to sign Dembele in the summer, it truly would be a tremendous acquisition. Perhaps, with his time at the club winding down, his last great transfer act.