Next Season's Defence + Transfer Target? Chris Samba

Samba:

According to a couple on news outlets, Arsenal have already placed a bid of around £10 million for the 27 year old, Congolese centre back. Samba cost Blackburn £400,000 from Hertha Berlin in 2007, and has made 164 appearances for Rovers to date. Last season, he played 35 times, picking up 3 yellow cards, 1 red and 4 goals along the way. Looking at the stats for the current Arsenal defenders, he's comparable in terms of both discipline and goals:

                                                   Apps.   YC   RC   Goals

                    Chris Samba            35        3       1         4

                    Laurent Koscielny   43       8       2         3

                    Sebastien Squillaci  34        1       1         2

                    Johan Djourou         39        4       0         1

In and since January, Samba dropped some fairly heavy hints about wanting to leave. In January he was quoted as saying: "This is my fifth season here. I've had ups and downs but today I don't want to waste any more time, new owners have arrived, they have fired the coach when he saved us from relegation two years ago. The least they could have done is come to us and explain their project. They haven't done that, it's a lack of respect. I don't want to be part of it." These reports of him wanting out were then blurred, in February, as he signed a new 4 year deal. Contracting him to the club until summer 2015.

More twists in the tale were to follow, at the beginning of May, the Blackburn skipper talked of how close a move to Arsenal was in January: "Everybody knows that I am an ambitious player... I think a move to Arsenal was very close in January, but that is life. You have to continue." Although decisive on the pitch, Samba seems to be unable to make up his mind off it, saying in late May: "I am not going to worry about next year now. I am very happy now though. Let us see who we sign."

Recently many Arsenal blogs and the press have been heralding him as the saviour for Arsenal's apparently lacklustre defence. I can't deny that he is a half-decent centre back, but I would point out that he has been playing for a club which only just avoided relegation, and he was part of a defence which conceded 28 Premiership goals since the turn of the year, compared to Arsenal conceding only 21 goals in the same period. I know that he's only one fifth (including the keeper) of that defence but it's still poor. He's tall and strong, but I wonder if he has the finesse that he would need to play for Arsenal. I am not sure how well he'd make the transition from Rovers' brand of football to that played in N5. There are other more suitable options out there. As well as that, from his quotes, Samba seems to be happy at Blackburn, and with a relatively long term contract in place, they are under no obligation to sell him.

Next Season:

Before the Carling Cup final, Arsenal conceded only 5 goals, from 8 Premier League games, and all of the goals came inside two games, to then concede 16 goals from the remaining 11 PL games is shocking. I feel that Arsenals defensive meltdown was essentially due to confidence. I can understand the calls for a new defender, but Thomas Vermaelen is going to be like a new signing next season, he made only 5 appearances this season, and is probably the first defensive name on the team sheet when he's fit. I think that he and Koscielny will make a cracking partnership next season, our #6 is a decent defender, he does show occasional incompetence, but you have to remember that 2010/11 was only his second season of top flight football. For the most part, his defending is fantastic, he's very good in the air, and excels at with slide tackles. He sometimes gets caught out 1v1, but that will happen to any defender. Thomas Vermaelen's defensive qualities we all know about from his fantastic first season at the club.

Moving down the pecking order, it seems to me that one of Sebastien Squillaci or Kyle Bartley will leave. Bartley has expressed his desire for first team football, and Rangers are happy to offer him it. They reportedly want him back either on loan or permanently next season, after impressing massively in the short spell he spent there before getting injured. A promising youngster who is sure to turn into a 'one that got away' player in the future if he is sold. No club should need five centre backs, although with defensive injuries like 10/11 we probably need 6, and this is why I think that one will go in the summer.

Your thoughts? Let me know through the comments below or on Twitter, you can follow me: @Goonernl