It’s now seven years since Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal last won a trophy and every year Gunners fans have to put up with the same old excuses. We are a young team! These things take time! We play the best football in the league! We always finish above Spurs! True though that last one may be nobody from the Wenger camp comes right out with it. Over the last few years Arsenal fans have had to put up with their best players leaving for big sums of money. You would expect the money to go back into the team but Wenger stubbornly keeps to his principles of buying them young and impressing on them his values and football ethics.

As easy as it is to admire the way he goes about his dealings it is all to simple to ridicule him for it to. Wenger has a system of creation and ball retention and getting players that fit the bill for a reasonable price is a hard thing to do nowadays. With his latest captain demanding a move this is a crucial summer for him as it was less than a year ago after a hiding at Old Trafford that cries of serious discontent could be heard from the Arsenal faithful.

Arsene Wenger may not be able to survive another year in which he loses his last remaining great player and replaces him with somebody who has potential. This is a list of 10 players in no particular order who would come into the Arsenal squad and immediately make them contenders for a trophy.

10. Mamadou Sakho

Sakho is known for his leadership credentials, his tireless engine, hard-working attitude, and his tackling ability. He currently plies his trade for Paris Saint Germain in France but is unhappy since the arrival of Thiago Silva has pushed him down the pecking order. He is primarily a centre back but can deputise at left back should there the situation call for it. At 22 he has at least another ten years at the top of the game ahead of him. He has represented France at every age group and has five caps for the national team. He has been on Wenger’s radar for a few years know but in the past PSG were unwilling to part with him but now that they have “we can buy anyone we want ” money Arsenal could get him for as little as £10 million.

He would instantly upgrade the Arsenal defence and would form a formidable partnership with Laurent Koscielny especially if Vermaelen fails to rediscover his form or fitness. He is a tremendous upgrade over squad players Djourou and Squillaci and is easily more talented than Mertesacker, a man who moves slower than the polar ice caps melt.

Marseille and Newcastle have been linked with him recently but if Arsenal were to enter the race they should have the inside track.

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