Arsenal: £50 million James Rodriguez the necessary statement

Arsenal are being linked with a £50 million move for James Rodriguez. After proclaiming their ambition before the summer, this is the necessary statement from Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis.

There was much dismay within the fan base after Arsene Wenger decided to re-sign with the club. Agreeing on a new two-year deal with Arsenal was seen as the same-old approach that had seen the club slip from perennial title challengers to Europa-League-also rans.

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As such, Wenger, the board, Ivan Gazidis and even Stan Kroenke were called into action to settle the fears of the fans. They have, of course, been in this position before. In light of such experience, they expertly proceeded to tell of their winning ambition, their desperation to restore the organisation to the hefty heights of Wenger’s early years, their desire to see the club challenge both on a domestic and European front.

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But we have heard all this before. It the same old PR-speak that has been spouted in the past, only for the same, passive, disinterested behaviour, especially in the transfer window, to continue. However, I believe that many fans, myself included, have reached the point where they can see through the lies of the board. It is time for their actions to back up their words.

That is where James Rodriguez enters the fray. Currently, Arsenal do not boast a squad capable of sustaining a genuine title challenge. They simply lack the talent. It is as straightforward as that. Significant investment is required if the ambition that Wenger, Gazidis and Kroenke claim to possess is to be proven true.

While there have been many names linked with a move to North London that would go some way to vindicating the club’s apparent ambition, many are improbable candidates who would either choose another destination or are not for sale. Rodriguez, though, who has been increasingly linked to Arsenal, is a more reasonable target that could well be attainable.

He is unused and unwanted at Real Madrid, falling behind Isco in the pecking order and seeing the number of starting, attacking roles fall to only three with Zinedine Zidane insisting that Casemiro starts as a holding player. And still, at only 25, he has his prime ahead of him and could be used as a sale for Real to invest in the likes of Kylian Mbappe.

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Rodriguez is yearning for regular playing time also. He would enter the Arsenal squad as a bonafide star, the central cog with the team built around him. It would be a desirable place for him to come to, even without Champions League football. He would also be the necessary statement of intent that the fans have been desperate to see.