Do we really need another winger this January?

By Rachid

In recent weeks we have been linked with a host of wingers such as Draxler and Reus, all because Walcott’s infamous injury against Spurs. Some have even called the Gunners a team ‘one dimensional’ because apparently without Walcott we have no pace in the side, but do Gooners have a reason to be worried?

First lets see what choices we have on the wings. On the right we have Gnabry and Chamberlain who I believe are two quality players. They have both burst onto the scene at a young age and both possess skill and speed (although not quite as quick as Walcott). However, what Walcott has that these two don’t is a proven shooting ability. If we do buy a striker in the coming days then this will not be too much of an issue. They also do not have as much experience as the injured Englishman but that is something which can be easily improved during Walcott’s absence.

On the left we have Podolski. He is a proven goal scorer with a powerful left foot. He is great at crossing and usually works hard. He is not the fastest player but can still beat defenders with his skills and passing ability. You will have noticed I haven’t mentioned Chamberlain on the left and that is for the simple reason I have already spoke about him on the right, and Cazorla who I feel gives us his best as an attacking midfielder. Arsene Wenger has said he wants to adapt The Ox into a central midfielder as he thinks he has the attributes to become the next Gerrard. Whether he is right or not we will find out in time.

When these players aren’t fit we can play with three attacking midfielders which worked so well against Norwich, most notably during the Wilshere goal of the season in my view and those three were doing the same all game. With Özil in the number 10 role you could play Cazorla, Wilshere, Rosicky or Ramsey on either wing and they are all top players. If they can put in such a good performance like against Norwich on a consistent basis we can surely win some silverware this season without natural wingers.

So, back to the question, do we need to buy any wingers this month? My answer is no as we have the right players to fill in for Walcott and the change in tactics to cover for the problem in depth.