Arsenal: Thank God Arsene Wenger sees sense with David Luiz

Reports surfaced linking Arsenal with a move for Chelsea defender David Luiz. Arsene Wenger, though, in his pre-match press conference, directly rejected such rumours. Thank God for that!

The January transfer window is up and running. And with it, as is ever the case in the modern footballing world that is controlled by media moguls and scheming agents, comes the increasingly contrived and uncomfortable rumour mill, producing reports of every type and kind.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast here

And, in being a club that is infamously hesitant in its pursuit of new recruits, meaning that its fanbase is desperate for any glimmer of hope that the mill can churn out, gobbling it up like drops of water from a mid-desert oasis, Arsenal are often at the heart of these rumours. But I feel that, in the past few days, I have come across perhaps the most stupid of them all — that is really saying something for this club.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

It surfaced over the weekend that Arsene Wenger might be interested in signing David Luiz to bolster his defensive options. The thinking was simple: Luiz has fallen massively out of favour at Chelsea; the Gunners need a defender. Put two and two together and you get four, right? Wrong. Absolutely wrong. Thankfully.

Here is Wenger speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s trip to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night. He was asked about whether the reports linking him to Luiz and Thomas Lemar were genuine. He was somewhat emphatic in his response:

"“No, I do not want to speak about any special name but these reports are wrong. Yes  [, the Luiz reports are wrong.]”"

I’ll be honest, here. That is like music to my ears. Luiz may have improved significantly last season, anchoring the defence that led Chelsea to the title, but that does not mean his substantial shortcomings have been completely ironed out. Specifically, his issues are not technical or physical ones. He is a naturally wonderful footballer. His problems lie between his ears.

Putting a player that is mentally lacking, in terms of his resolve, his fortitude, his on-pitch sense of danger, his decision-making and his positioning, in a team as mentally weak as Arsenal’s is just asking for trouble.

Next: Arsenal Vs Chelsea: Predicted starting XI

There is certainly a need for a defender, especially someone to succeed Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker. But Luiz is most certainly not that player. Thankfully, it seems as if Wenger has seen sense with this one.