Arsenal: Radja Nainggolan ‘jest’ no laughing matter

The Arsenal midfield needs some bolstering, in case you haven’t heard, which makes Radja Nainggolan’s ‘jest’ far crueler than it seems.

When you think about the transformation that the Arsenal midfield has gone through this year, it’s no wonder we go into this summer transfer window begging for some sort of improvement. While Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey have certainly given us a lot to look forward to, two guys is not enough, and the reserve options shouldn’t even really be options.

A world class Santi Cazorla replacement is the ideal candidate. Someone similar to Ramsey but perhaps a bit more proven. And you know it’s serious if I’m advocating for Ramsey to get some more competition.

That’s why I am not laughing at Radja Nainggolan‘s recent jest when doing a rather awkward (and joking?) TV interview with his team mate and soon-to-be-Gunner-again Wojciech Szczesny.

Nainggolan, who has been linked to the Premier League for years, was asked why he chose to stay at Roma and the Belgian fluffed about how much he liked the life style, etc. Then he added. “If there was Arsenal and how you always talk about them – maybe I should have gone.” Take a look:

Are you laughing? I’m not laughing. Apparently neither Szczesny nor Nainggolan thought it was very funny either, because they weren’t laughing either. Which makes me think about what could have been. What if Arsenal had swooped in with a £30m bid rather than relying on a brittle Cazorla?

The results would simply be magnificent, and they are results I hope to see this summer, when the Gunners ideally purchase someone exactly of the skill set of Nainggolan, if not the man himself.

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When the Gunners were begging for midfield help, Arsene Wenger rightfully turned to Granit Xhaka. The club needed a spine, some sort of fight in midfield, and a bit of strength. Xhaka isn’t the whole package (at least not yet) but given the right partner, who is just as tenacious, fierce and then a good deal quicker and more rambunctious, then everyone wins.

Nainggolan fits that billing perfectly. He always has. That’s why I was confused by Arsenal’s silence this time last year, as well as why I kept urging them to pursue the guy, as they seemed to have no interest in such a clear fit. 

At the time, I thought maybe the price tag put them off, but that clearly isn’t the case given how much Wenger has spent.

Maybe it is his age, as he is now 29 years old. Whatever the case, it isn’t too late to win big on this guy. 13 goals and five assists in all competitions, he place every central position, attacking defending or straight up. Defensively, he is a solid tackler and a smart reader of the game. And do  you want to talk about fire? Hunger? Desire? This guy has it. All of it.

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Chelsea has always been heavily linked to the Belgian, but nothing has materialized. Through it all, the Gunners have remained remarkably silent.