Denilson

Ceks

Has made 42 first team appearances for Arsenal now. I may be wrong, but I have a hunch that Wenger is going to partner him with Fabregas next season.

He's now 20 years old, and he's at the age where Wenger must surely be looking to give him a more prominent role.

There has been all this specualtion about bringing in a top quality DM to replace Flamini, but where would that leave Denilson if Arsenal do? He has just pledged his future to Arsenal, but he will surely not be content waiting in the shadows for seasons to come.

Wenger obviously rates him, and I certainly see his potential, but I don't think he's ready to hold down a starting role, and I am not sure that he and Fabregas would compliment each other either. Not to mention the fact that our midfield would be very light-weight.

I'm desperate for us to buy someone who is in the Vieira mould. Our squad is paper thin, and lacks experience & leadership. Though it will come as no surprise to me if he brings in someone young, and grants Denilson his chance. Perhaps Bischoff will be bought as a squad player..

duffer

Would Diaby not compliment Fabregas better?

Denilson looked talented but not physically ready from what little I saw last year.

Brwned

I'm not sure Wenger does rate him. There were a few times when injuries had struck and he could easily have came in and done the job, but never got the chance.

Denilson is a very different player from Flamini imo. A better player. But I can't see a Fabregas-Denilson partnership having the defensive solidity to be a good enough partnership.

Definitely seems like he has plenty of ability and can become a very good player in the future.

REd FUn DevIl

In the times i have seen Diaby he has played as an attacking midfielder but who knows which plans Wenger has for him.

FlawlessThaw

Personally can't see it. Fabregas seems to bring out his best form when he is partnered with a no-nonsense holding midfielder like Flamini and Gilberto. Denilson is nothing like that of the sort. As Brwned says I can't see it having enough defensive solidity and the neither players have the experience to get away with it.

I still think Arsenal need a new central midfielder.

Ceks

Although he's got the physical stature/physique to compliment Fabregas, as well as being mobile; Diaby is not good positionally, and he also gets caught in possession too often.

Mind you, I have seen him have good games in through the middle, but he hasn't played centrally enough to be competent, and the reasons mentioned above is why I think Wenger would opt for someone else.

Ceks

Rather large assumption.

I also don't understand which games you would have expected to have seen him play? Could you elaborate?

Brwned

It is I know. But he seems mature enough now yet hasn't played as much as I had expected him to.

In the few games that Diaby was played in the middle I would have expected Diaby to play ahead of him, and when Gilberto came back in and was going through a bad patch I thought Denilson might have been given a chance. You're the Arsenal fan here though, so that was just my perception of it and I didn't really give it too much thought at the time tbh. It's just the way I seen it over the course of the season.

Ceks

I agree that Gilberto had some bad games, but I could never envisage Wenger opting for Denilson over Gilberto in those games in which Gilberto started. That probably says it all, and my personal opinion is that Denilson isn't ready, and he isn't compatible with Fabregas. Say we bring someone with a profile in, it surely wouldn't take long for Denilson to be off somewhere. Could be a great prospect that we lose.

Perhaps not to dissimilar from the Rossi situation.

Brwned

Seems a definite possibility. But your theory of a Fabregas-Denilson partnership doesn't seem too unlikely if no-one new is brought in. He has the positional sense and discipline to play the same role that Carrick plays for us along with Scholes, and you can see similarities between Scholes and Fabregas. The partnership could work, but I think it would leave the centre of your defence open and I don't think Gallas and Toure would cope as well as Vidic and Rio did with it. Again, that's all presumptuous.

I'd say he has more ability than Rossi. I've never been that big a fan of Rossi tbh, he has obvious ability but besides a good goalscoring run as the start of the season, which included a few penalties, he didn't do a lot else. That's probably a bit harsh since it's his first season at a new club and he's still very young, but still. Creative little player with a good eye for a goal, but didn't impress me as much as he did with many others here.

peterstorey

I suspect we must have a DM on the radar if we let Gilberto go as well. Denilson is an Alonso-like DM rather than a Mascherano-type DM and isn't the best fit with Fabregas in my view (plus he had a poor season partly due to injuries). Song did OK for Charlton the season before last and very well for Cameroon in the ANC but seems to be reckoned as a CB by Wenger. Diaby is a very good player but not a DM. Djourou fancies himself as a DM and has the right equipment, possibly that's Wenger's rabbit from the hat.

Mozza

Wenger regrets missing out on Carrick and sees a Denilson-Fabregas pairing as the closest thing to Uniteds midfield

cesc's_mullet

Diaby is good on the offensive, his main knock being his penchant for holding onto the ball for too long. He needs to learn when to release the ball. I'd have queries on his positional sense too.

Aside from that he's got it going for him. He's a tall, strong bloke who is a rather handy dribbler (albeit he dribbles himself into a dead-end), good in the tackle and has a venomous shot on him.

Denilson isn't the right size as yet to be starting for us regularly.

cesc's_mullet

I agree with Brwnd on the Denilson - Fabregas partnership will be lacking in all round defensive play.

sincher

Diaby will be ahead in the queue, but a new more defensive midfielder is surely on the way.

Younited.7

All we know for sure is that he is young and of (French speaking) African descent.

reddevilcanada

Wenger should go for one of the following; yaya toure, barry or alonso.

Rowem

Agreed.

Both Diaby and Denilson (as well as young Ramsey) are attack-minded/creative players like Fabregas. None of them would make a could partnership with Fabregas. If they bought in a defensive midfielder they'd have a better balance, and would have the option of playing this aswell:

--RvP---Adebayor--Walcott--

-Diaby/Denilson--Fabregas
---------New Signing-------

Younited.7

Samir Nasri will be starting in front of Walcott.

peterstorey

Toure lacks mobility, Barry simply isn't good enough and Alonso's not a good complement for Fabregas.

reddevilcanada

Toure's got the lot, if you watched Barca last season or when they played us you'll realize he covers a lot of ground. In fact, in Barca's attacking formation, he's really the only defensive minded midfielder and covers Deco and Xavi's arses constantly. Barry and Alonso would certainly not be as good partners as Flamini was for Fabregas but they'd be better than Denilson/Diaby.

RedRover

I tend to agree with that. Arsenal need a ball player in that area of the pitch - although said player needs a bit of steel to their game as well.

There isn't many around like that. Wenger will probably have another gem in the youth team.

Incidentaly, I hear a lot of good things about Merida. Apprently has the potential to be a top player.

Brwned

In what way? As in he doesn't run around enough or he is too slow?

peterstorey

Bit of both, he is pretty static and lacks pace not necessarily bad things in themselves but not what we want. He was on trial with us and though there's a story he didn't want to be parked at Beveren and hence didn't want to sign, I don't think Wenger fancied him.

Brwned

For a man of his size he doesn't seem the slightest bit slow, and he does his fair share of running. He's positionally very good and he's good on the ball. Seems like he has the footballing intelligence to play in your team too. Can't see why Wenger wouldn't want him.

KingEric7

I'd be slightly worried next year if Arsenal managed to pair Toure and Fabregas together in centre mid. Toure is exceptional at what he does when he's on form.

GloryHunter07

I have learnt to expect to be surprised by Wenger, so i can see him playing one of these guys and them stepping up, just like Adebayor last season.

Some gooners have commented that Diaby is very one footed.

AttackingFlair

Since when?

FlawlessThaw

I say Arsenal should buy a centre half, someone who's not a complete pussy and partner him alongside Gallas. Then play Toure in midfield with Fabregas.

Ceks

I wouldn't object to Kolo playing in the middle.