Wenger - We need to add creativity and defensive strength

Wenger, in an interview with shareholders, has spoken of what he requires to finally bring back success to the Arsenal after 3 seasons without a trophy to show for it. He has pointed out in particular 2 positions where he wants to invest - A defensive player who can deal with long balls, and a creative player to add more of an edge to our attacking play:

“We didn’t give more goals away than any other team in the League on open play, nor on set pieces, but where we gave more goals away was on direct balls, in the air, through the middle, and most of the time on second balls. On set pieces and open play we were as good as Manchester United and Chelsea. The numbers are available. But we have to rectify how we deal with direct balls. When a team just goes for long, direct balls against us, we have to improve.”

“I will try to buy, maybe in the defensive area and one on the creative side of the game as well because we had some players, important players, who were out this year. We want as well to bring new talent in on the creative side of our game.

 The Independent is guessing Micah Richards or Raul Albiol for the defensive role, but I think the answer will be someone far less well know than those two, who would both cost £10-20m each and so would presumably be out of reach fincially in Wenger’s eyes. You would have thought though that Senderos would conform to that description that Wenger gives, of a tall defender who can head the ball, but evidently Senderos’ difficulty in defending with our high line means what he has in the air he loses due to his pace that strikers can expose by running the channels or looking for the ball over the top.

As for the creative player, presumably a midfielder who will be converted to a winger like in the case of Rosicky and Hleb, the likes of Michael Johnson, Diego, Niko Kranjcar and Hatem Ben Arfa have all been suggested by the press, although Johnson has been billed as a possible replacement for Flamini. I would have thought that it is likely again that Wenger will go for someone less well known such as Yoann Gouffran who can play on the wings and would come cheap, although Wenger is supposedly a big fan of Kranjcar and Ben Arfa, and has been in contact about Diego as well, so we can hope that a moreproven player such as those would be signed.