Carlos Vela to Arsenal: Transfer details and what he offers the Gunners
Carlos Vela’s possible return to Arsenal is becoming one of the most convoluted stories of the summer. Only a few weeks ago news broke that the Gunners were considering bringing him back to the Emirates for a miniscule fee thanks to a useful clause in his contract, but in recent days, conflicting statements from Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay leaves everything looking as clear as mud. talkSPORT breaks down the latest, as well as what Vela can offer Arsenal…
The details of the deal
Arsenal’s sale of Vela to Real Sociedad in 2012 included an option for the Gunners to bring him back to the Emirates at a miniscule £3.3m, unless Real Sociedad paid a fee to cancel that clause. The Basque side failed to act in that respect, however, despite pleas from the player to do so, and as such, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger now has the chance to bring a much-improved player back into the Arsenal set-up for a bargain price.
Reports over the last 24 hours from Spain suggest things are moving quickly. Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay, , has revealed that ‘Arsenal have told us they’re interested in the player, that they want him back to play with Arsenal’, but later went on to add that ‘we’re lucky because Vela wants to stay with la Real, with us’. The suggestion that the player wants to continue in the Basque country is surprising given it is widely reported that his agent met with Arsenal in London earlier this summer.
What is not certain at the moment is whether Arsenal could choose to sell Vela on after buying him back. The Mexican has offers on the table from several clubs, not only the Gunners, and if Arsene Wenger doesn’t see him as part of the team next season, then buying him back for a small fee before selling him on for significantly more could bring in plenty of cash for players the Frenchman genuinely wants. Vela has been one of the best forwards in Spain for the last two years, so using him as little more than an asset seems a waste. That brings us on to the sporting side of the deal: why would Arsenal want Vela, and what would he bring to the team?
What Vela offers
Most obviously, the Mexican would offer the Gunners a significant increase in goals. He has just completed his most prolific season ever as a professional, scoring 20 goals in all competitions. That’s only two goals shy of Arsenal’s top scorer, Olivier Giroud, and significantly better than their next highest scorer, Aaron Ramsey, who has put away 15 strikes. It’s worth keeping in mind that Vela generally doesn’t play in the centre forward’s position - more often than not appearing out wide or occasionally as a supporting striker - so to break the 20-goal mark from that area of the field with a team that performed poorly in the first half of the season is no small feat.
The numbers only tell part of the story. For many Real Sociedad supporters, Vela is their equivalent of Lionel Messi, and while any comparison with the Argentine are dangerous, it is true the Mexican forward is the kind of player capable of turning around a tough game with a remarkable piece of skill and a wonderful finish. Not only a scorer of goals but a scorer of difficult goals - be it from tight angles or against a stubborn defence – he even put four away in one game earlier this season against Celta Vigo.
Vela has also shown a selfless side with La Real, providing assists for team-mates in big games against the likes of Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia and Villarreal. The Mexican has no problem with the less glamorous side of football these days, putting in significant miles off the ball despite playing more games than any other Real Sociedad player this season, and is often the key player in a successful counter attack having just covered the full length of the pitch.
Where he would fit in
The most obvious role for Vela would be as one of the wide forwards either side of Olivier Giroud, and in that natural role he should provide an increase in goals for the Gunners in comparison to what they currently have available, as well as plenty of assists.
That isn’t the only way he could fit in, however. At times this season Vela has been used as part of a forward two in front of a number 10, particularly in difficult games where Real Sociedad need to defend in numbers, so he could even be used in tandem with Olivier Giroud or another striker on occasion.
One other role Vela could take up is that of the central striker, a position he played when he was younger and has occupied on a handful of occasions for Real Sociedad. While in the past it wasn’t necessarily his best position, an improvement in Vela’s all round game as well as a marked increase in goalscoring for the Mexican this season reflects his development as a player, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Arsene Wenger has ideas about using him in the middle, in competition with Olivier Giroud.
Are Arsenal doing the right thing by buying him back?
It’s difficult to argue with Arsenal’s logic if they have indeed decided to buy Vela back as reports suggest. While the Mexican’s first spell at the club was a difficult one, he has taken huge leaps forward in his time in Spain, and has done so at a crucial stage in his career, so if the Gunners didn’t take up their option to sign him from Real Sociedad, it’s highly likely that another big club would. Even if Arsenal’s intention is only to sell him on at higher price from the one they would pay Real Sociedad, there is no doubting the business sense of the move. That said, failing to take advantage of the privileged position with a player of Vela’s quality by off-loading him to another team would make little sense from a sporting perspective.
Arsenal fans, is bringing Carlos Vela back a good move? Let us know below...