Malaysian Gooner

The news that Sol Campbell might be returning to Arsenal has been greeted with mixed reactions from Gooners around the world. As Philippe Senderos is looking to leave the Gunners in search of first-team football, Wenger will need a signing at centre half to cover just in case injuries befall either William Gallas or Thomas Vermaelen.

Wenger could do a lot worse than signing the Arsenal legend. Signing Campbell on a 6-month contract would be absolutely fantastic because of three players; Senderos, Djourou and Gallas. The signing of Campbell would definitely cover the loss of Senderos this season. The Swiss international never looked like regaining a first-team place after returning from his loan spell with AC Milan and the €3m figure being touted by the press seems fair considering he has hardly kicked a ball this season. Campbell may not be the player he was 5 years ago but can’t help but wonder how far he is away from Senderos’ level of ability.

Campbell will also plug that gap at the back until the end of the season when it is expected that Johan Djourou will return from injury. The other Swiss international looked sharp and ready to play an important role this season before suffering a knee injury while on international duty in August and was ruled out for the rest of the season. Arsene should love the fact that Sol can play his part and once Johan returns, the former Portsmouth player will not hamper the progress of our number 20.

Finally, and perhaps the most importantly; the signing of Sol Campbell will mean that Wenger will not have to dip into an inflated January transfer market for the centre back he may need to replace William Gallas come the end of the season. Wenger has said that he may make an exception to the “over-30″ rule at the club for William but that does not mean Gallas will sign it. Wenger confirmed the obvious that Gallas had once lost his appetite for the club. When asked recently on contract negotiations with Gallas, Wenger said:

Maybe at one stage he might have considered leaving. But it is always the same in life: if you have the right attitude, then people will rate you. He had the right attitude and has, maybe, found his appetite for the club again. That is a credit to him.

Sol’s signature would mean that Wenger can put off signing a replacement like Cristian Zapata until the summer, when his price tag would be lower. The Udinese star has been linked with the Gunners in the past but it seems that Arsenal’s finances have improved and we’re now prepared to pay the €12m fee Udinese require for his services.