With the January transfer window now officially open, Arsenal supporters are hoping Arsene Wenger can manage something he has so often failed to do in the past – and complete a deal with a bit of time to spare.
The Arsenal boss has been guilty of leaving deals too late and often missing out altogether in recent times – something he simply cannot afford to do this time around given the mounting pressure he is facing.
Reports suggest Arsenal are set to move for Atletico Madrid’s defensive midfielder Mario Suarez this winter with the Gunners desperate for a midfield enforcer.
Wenger has been linked with a host of defensive midfielders since the summer, with Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira and Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin two of the names most frequently mentioned.
But now it looks as if the Gunners boss has set his sights on Suarez and whilst this may be Mario rather than Luis, it appears Arsenal have a chance of actually completing this deal – without having to offer an extra £1 to activate any kind of release clause.
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Click on Arsene Wenger to reveal 5 things you may not know about Arsenal target Mario Suarez.
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He may finally bring some physicality to the Arsenal midfield
For so long a criticism levelled at Arsenal is that they simply do not have enough physicality in their side – particularly in the midfield area.
Suarez is a powerful defensive midfielder who stands at 6 ft 2 inches.
He has a reputation in Spain for being a tough tackling, no-nonsense style player who understands the tactical side of the game superbly, having been integral to Diego Simeone’s water-tight defensive side last term.
He has done something Wenger is yet to manage
Should Suarez complete his move to the Emirates Stadium this winter, he will be able to boast of managing something Arsene Wenger is yet to achieve in his illustrious career – and that is to have beaten Jose Mourinho.
Whilst Wenger is yet to get one over on his bitter rival, Suarez was a key part of the side that knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League semi-final last season.
Suarez was particularly impressive in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, a game which Diego Simeone’s side won 3-1 to set up a final showdown with city rivals Real Madrid.
Arsenal supporters will be hoping he can repeat a similar performance when Chelsea visit the Emirates in April.
He has represented Spain at every level
Should Arsenal complete the signing of Suarez, they will be able to boast another Spanish international in their ranks, although the midfielder has only won two senior caps for his country.
Suarez has had most of his success playing for the Under-19 side. He was part of the team that won the European Championships in 2006.
He has represented his country at every level from Under-16 and will perhaps be hoping a move to England will see him gain more respect in the international reckoning.
He recovered from a ‘traumatic brain injury’
Like any top defensive midfielder, Suarez has had to recover from some pretty nasty knocks in his time – most notably a ‘traumatic brain injury’ he suffered during a pre-season game in Germany.
The midfielder was knocked unconscious in a friendly game against Wolfsburg and was required to remain in Germany for treatment after his teammates returned to Madrid.
Whilst this could have potentially been career threatening, Suarez showed superb courage to recover – and featured again for Atletico just NINE days after suffering the injury.
His rise to the Atletico first team has been far from straightforward
Whilst Suarez has been considered a crucial player for Atletico over the past few years, his rise into the first team was anything but easy. The Spaniard began his career with Atletico B and was then sold by the first team in 2008 after two loan spells away – having only made four La Liga appearances.
But Suarez impressed at Mallorca, so much so that Atletico decided to re-sign him in 2010.
He has since made over 100 La Liga appearances, winning the Europa League, the Copa Del Rey, as well as La Liga last season – whilst also finishing as a Champions League runner up to Real Madrid.
