It sounds crazy to call a potential transfer a ‘no brainer’. A transaction involving millions of pounds is always a risk. Especially when the player involved has already failed to make a mark at the club during his previous stint.
With that being said, Arsenal need to complete the signing of Carlos Vela this summer. It makes far too much sense not to do so. The club have the chance to sign Vela for £3.3m due to a clause put in the Mexican’s contract upon his sale.
‘I’m open to the idea of going back to Arsenal’ – Carlos Vela
Since leaving North London, Vela has matured greatly and relished the opportunity of playing regular first team football. The Mexican forward has appeared 105 times for Real Socieded in La Liga – scoring on 41 occasions and providing 11 assists. That level of production is very impressive for anyone, especially from the wing. You could throw the argument out that La Liga may not be as strong as the Premier League, but even then you can look at his record in the Champions League. 3 goals in 8 starts is nothing to scoff at.
Depth has been a problem for Arsenal all season. Olivier Giroud has been overworked to the detriment of his form and the lack of other options – combined with a number of injuries – has resulted in many of Arsenal’s lineups having a serious pace deficiency. Vela brings pace. He brings the option to play the ball in behind the defence. He brings so much for such a little price.
He speaks decent English; should be ok settling in the country; knows the club and has grown in stature since his last time in the country. A problem he had in his first stint at Arsenal was that he couldn’t really make an impact on the wing and his lack of upper-body strength meant he couldn’t be deployed as a lone striker – restricting his appearances to League Cup games. Since leaving he’s really defined himself as an exciting wing player. His crossing has become a lot better and as expected from a player who grew up in Arsenal’s academy, his passing is top notch. He fits the bill.
Even if Vela arrives and fails to get going again – which is the worst-case scenario – his re-sale value is much higher than the £3.3m outlay. In all honesty, his market value lies at about £10-12m. Arsenal should use the advantage they have and wrap this one up quickly.
I’m not out here saying that Vela is the answer to all of Arsenal’s striking problems. Simply put: He isn’t. But he’s an ingredient of the remedy. Re-signing Vela could be the smartest move Arsenal make this summer. By providing cover for the right-wing, left-wing and striker positions at such a low price means Arsenal can afford to splash out more on the other positions that need covering in the squad. Also, the £3.3m clause means that Arsenal can wrap this deal up quickly without the need to haggle over the pennies (sorry Dick Law).
In a market of inflated prices and overpriced flops, it would be silly to pass on signing Carlos Vela for a respectable £3.3m. Get this one done early Arsenal. Let’s make Vela the first buy of a potentially busy summer.
