Travis Brooks
One of the names that's been linked to Arsenal on a surprisingly persistent basis this season is Victor Wanyama, the enigmatic Kenyan midfielder who stars for Southampton. Wanyama has youth and talent on his side and passes the eye test as a player ready for action at a larger club. But with Mesut Ozil having a career best season, Aaron Ramsey healthy, Santi Cazorla returning and Jack Wilshere perennially waiting in the wings, a big move for a midfielder might seem unlikely in the near future.
Nevertheless, Wanyama-to-Arsenal has proven to be not just a rumour but something the club has considered strongly enough to address publicly. Wenger confirmed his interest in December and seemed to imply that Arsenal had an eye on the player but weren't actively engaging in transfer discussions at that time. It appeared to be something of a wait-and-see approach with regard to the midfield injuries that were plaguing the Gunners at the time. Meanwhile, Southampton has made Arsenal aware of what it would take to acquire Wanyama (believed to be about £20 million), and may still accept a summer deal.
The catch in all of this is that Wanyama has a history of being something of a loose cannon, and the recent news story regarding his latest transgressions could well give Arsenal pause. Wanyama was suspended following a nasty red card incident in a harsh tackle of West Ham's Dimitri Payet. Such things happen with relative regularity over the course of a Premier League season, but the frequency with which the 24-year-old finds himself on the wrong end of a carding has already become a concern.
A season ago, Wanyama had 12 yellow cards (10 in Premier League play) for Southampton, though he somehow managed it all without ever earning a red or a suspension. Generally speaking, that might be the mark of an aggressive and occasionally reckless player who knows when to stop. This season, however, when one might have expected a touch more maturity, Wanyama has taken his aggression to new heights. He's not been able to avoid the red in 2015/16, and the latest issue will result in his fourth suspension of the season so far. Even if no more are to follow, he'll have missed eight matches on the year purely for disciplinary reasons.
The decision Wenger will have to make is whether or not a player capable of causing so much trouble is worth a potential £20 million fee and presumably a great deal of trust on the field. There's no doubt that Wanyama could add toughness and physicality to the Arsenal midfield and a grouping of him, Ozil, Ramsey and Cazorla heading into 2016/17 is certainly enticing. But given that the Gunners have found some strong chemistry for much of this season, Wanyama's behaviour problems could be enough for Arsenal to lose interest.
For his part, Wanyama has made it quite clear that he would welcome a move to a bigger club, and specifically to Arsenal. He said as much to a Kenyan television station as early as last summer, though he was quick to reiterate that he remains focused on helping his current club win. Indeed, one might wonder if this is part of the problem with the midfielder's attitude on the field. There have been no real indications of disagreements between Wanyama and his current club, but a player who's unhappy with his situation is generally likelier to have a shorter fuse. This, too, will be something Wenger has to take into consideration, as it's possible a move to a top club could very well help Wanyama to mature.
Then again, this may all just come down to how Arsenal finishes the season and what the perceived needs are when the summer transfer window opens. If the Gunners fail to win the title and the midfield is identified as one reason why, Wanyama may look appealing regardless of how many suspensions he's piled up.
