Arsenal signing James Rodriguez would be a huge mistake

Arsenal just don’t have the transfer budget to justify purchasing Real Madrid star James Rodriguez this summer

Arsenal need to focus their transfer attention this summer on rebuilding their defensive midfield and adding a world-class striker. James Rodriguez is a great player, but he wouldn’t address either of the Gunners’ biggest needs. As such, Arsene Wenger needs to take a pass on the brilliant Colombian star.

Rumors are flying that Arsenal are prepared to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City to secure the services of the Real Madrid star. Even though he’s had his struggles at Madrid, the La Liga giants will still be looking to recoup a large portion of the 80 million pounds they paid for the brilliant attacker.

It’s not as if James isn’t a great player or that he wouldn’t improve Arsenal. I think he is still a world-class attacking midfielder who could improve almost any squad in the world.

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He just happens to occupy a position on the pitch where Arsenal are already well stocked. Sure, adding a third attacking midfielder to play with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez would be nice, but it’s not a need for Wenger’s squad. His options in the defensive pivot and up top are much more pressing concerns.

Arsenal’s summer purchases will depend greatly on their ability to sell some of their current stars. The Express reports that Wenger’s transfer budget may only be somewhere around 50 million pounds absent the revenue from outgoing sales. That isn’t a sum of money that’s going to go a long way for the Gunners this summer.

50 million pounds might not even be enough cash for Arsenal to sign a striker capable of satisfying their fan base. Olivier Giroud is clearly not the answer for their issues up top, and they’ve been mentioned with the very best strikers that might hit the market this summer. A player like, Gonzalo Higuain, for instance, could easily cost Wenger 50 million pounds on his own.

Now, it’s correct to point out that Arsenal do have the ability to drive some significant transfer revenue by selling some of their current players. The likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs will certainly draw nice bids. Those resources need to be utilized to correct the Gunners’ defensive midfield problems though.

Arsenal have scored enough goals this season to compete for a Premier League title, but they’ve really struggled to find the right combination in the defensive midfield. Former stalwarts like Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky are expected to depart North London this summer and they must not only be replaced, but upgraded. Wenger needs to add at least two players capable of performing as Premier League starters this summer. That’s not going to come cheap either.

Arsenal’s interest in James Rodriguez will surely excite their fan base and some high-profile fans will call on Arsene Wenger to get this deal done at all costs. Smart Gunner fans should know that this is a purchase that could eliminate their ability to strengthen their true weaknesses this summer. Signing James would be good for headlines, but be bad for their results on the pitch.

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