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» Does Jamie Vardy Pursuit Suggest Wenger Is Making 1 Last Push With Arsenal?
Sometimes, people do unexpected
things. Years of experience of observing someone, their modes of
behaviour and their actions in certain situations give a certain
picture. Their needs, wants and personal preferences appear to be clear;
their way of doing things consistent. Then, one decision, one break
from convention, though only an anomaly, can alter the picture of the
whole and can also reveal that motives have changed. This applies to
football managers as much as any type of person.
Arsene Wenger is a manager whose
modes of behaviour are deeply entrenched. Wenger, after being a
revolutionary force when he first arrived in England, is now seen as set
in his ways and resistant to change. His preference for selecting a
side based on his ideals, rather than tailored to counter-act the
opposition, is widely considered one of few flaws in his repertoire. The
other major flaw, for so long grating on Arsenal fans, is his
reluctance to sign ready-made players, preferring to scout and acquire
young, mouldable targets. But recently, Wenger has shifted somewhat, and
the approach for Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, edging towards thirty
with just one sensational season under his belt, reveals a complete
reversal.
Typically, Wenger’s transfer dealings
look to the future, to long-term sustainability and to re-sale value.
His background as an economist is so often invoked that it’s almost
become a cliche. Even when Wenger has spent significant sums in recent
years, namely on Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, both deals provided some
possible future re-sale value. Ozil was twenty-four and Sanchez
twenty-five at the time of their arrivals, cast-offs from the two
biggest clubs in the world that could, if necessary, be shipped off for a
profit at a later date.
But Vardy is different; a break from
the method. Months away from his thirtieth birthday and reportedly
hoping for a four-year deal, Vardy’s expected signing provides no
re-sale value, no potential for profit. He is a signing for the here and
now, with long-term concerns giving way to short-term needs. Yet away
from the to-ing and fro-ing of the negotiations and the analysis of
where Vardy will fit in, the pursuit reveals that Wenger’s motives have
changed. His desperation is apparent. Wenger is no longer looking to
develop a team long-term, he is aching for a Premier League title win to
end his long-standing Arsenal reign with a burst of positivity. More
than anything, the pursuit of Vardy signals that Wenger is preparing his
exit plan, aiming to sure up a wavering legacy with a triumphant
victory.
Put simply, Vardy is to Wenger what
Robin van Persie was to Sir Alex Ferguson. There was a time when
Ferguson, too, looked to re-sale value and youth in his main transfer
dealings. Van Persie’s signing represented a shift, signing an
established Premier League goalscorer to provide an immediate impact,
regardless of long-term strategy. He delivered 26 league goals in his
debut season, allowing Ferguson to leave United with another title to is
name, following the disappointment of missing out to Manchester City in
2011-12.
Wenger, though often at odds with
Ferguson through much of their shared time in the Premier League, is
desperate to emulate the exit plan. Vardy’s signing is a crucial
component of that exit plan and whether or not the deal does come off,
Wenger has now revealed a shift in his motives. The stars are yet to
align for Wenger as they did for Ferguson but the Vardy pursuit signals
one last effort to leave Arsenal with his reputation fully intact.
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