Whether you love them or loathe them, Arsenal remain the most perfect example of a Premier League club you're likely to come across in modern day football.
On the pitch, their free-flowing, expansive football has won admirers all over the world. And while in recent years their sometimes unique style has failed to reap the rewards Gunners fans were hoping for, neutrals have been treated to sublime football on an almost weekly basis.
Off the pitch the club is run superbly. With no foreign billionaire to fund extortionate transfer fees and wages, they still manage to support their manager, make a healthy profit and pay off the debts incurred through the building of the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger epitomises the principles of the club he has managed for over a decade. He refuses to spend beyond their means and is intent on promoting and ensuring development of young players - focusing on the future of club rather than settling for a quick-fix.
Well until recently at least.
Wenger's insistence on buying youngsters and turning them into first-team stars remains undiminished, but it's his policy on those over 30 years of age which seems to have fallen by the wayside.
'Le Profeseur' has always had a personal rule to never offer players in their thirties more than a one-year deal. He belives that when players hit that stage of their careers, their physical and mental capabilities start to drop and injuries are more likely to occur.
While his decision has made sense from a financial view, Wenger's stubborn nature and refusal to backtrack on his morals has led to the loss of talent and experience over the years. Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord and Edu are among those to have moved to pastures new because of Wenger's limited contract offers.
But after bringing back former captain Sol Campbell on a six-month deal in January of this year, the Frenchman seems to be backtracking on a policy he's upheld since first arriving in England.
To fix his goalkeeping problems he has turned to Fulham's 37-year-old stopper Mark Schwarzer. While the Aussie is still a good keeper, he only has a couple of years left in him at the top level. Definitely not a typical Wenger signing.
He is also hoping to sign Sevilla's French defender for Sebastien Squillaci for a reported fee of £6.5 million. £6.5 million for an injury-prone 30-year-old?!
Wenger finds himself with just three recognisable central defenders and the transfer window drawing to a close. A manager well-known for being cool, calm and collected is showing serious signs of panic - threatening to undermine his own set of personal ethics.
Arsenal do need a new goalkeeper and a new central defender, but if Wenger pursues his current targets he could well on the verge of bringing an end to an era he has worked so hard to build.
- Joe Strange
Source: DSG
