As Arsenal count the loss incurred by the serious injury to influential club captain Cesc Fabregas, Arsene Wenger may finally be forced to do away with his policy of unnecessary transfer expenditure by splashing the cash on a midfield player that has the capability to fill the void left by Fabregas. Given the media reports over the last few days the obvious targets are Andrei Arshavin and Xabi Alonso. Familiar names, aren’t they Arsenal fans? Both the contrasting yet highly talented international players were linked with summer moves to North London, yet as always the case Mr.Wenger preferred to go with a fairly young side going into the start of the 2008/2009 Premier League.

Now there’s a dilemma that the legendary French manager has to deal with and time is of the essence when it comes to deciding on the right players that need to be bought into the team. The Daily Mail reports that the Gunners have set their sights on the Russian Arshavin and that his recent visit to North London with his agent is a clear indication that the Zenith St Petersburg maestro is set to arrive permanently in the English capital over the next month. Although Arshavin visited both Tottenham and Arsenal during his recent visit, many feel Arsenal’s Champions League campaign and Arsene Wenger’s attacking mindset would finally lure the Russian to the Emirates.

With Arsenal set to reinforce their injury-hit midfield, the name of Xabi Alonso has come up big time linking him to the club after the failed transfer bid back in August. It is unlikely that Arsene Wenger would go for a double swoop given his strict defensive mindset regarding player transfers. Alonso’s hope for playing with Arsenal could infact rest on the Arshavin situation. Zenith boss Dick Advocaat has given the green light for his ace man to exit Russia and this has already created a mighty race to sign the player across Europe. As of now Arsenal may be the favorites but Tottenham has the ability to hijack the deal with Harry Redknapp on board and then there are competitions from continental powerhouses Barcelona(the club Arshavin has personally picked to play in the near future earlier this season), Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.

Now the question is who will suit Arsenal more? Will the arrival of the mercurial Russian striker, who has made a name for being one of the world’s most effective attacking midfield players with eye catching versatility on show in EURO 2008, add to the devastating attacking prowess that Gunners are known for? Or will Arsene Wenger opt for a strategically defensive midfielder in the mould of Cesc Fabregas by signing Xabi Alonso who over the years has belied his physical drawback with his outstanding technique that has served his current Liverpool side so effectively over the years. Alonso has a bigger advantage compared to Arshavin as the Spaniard knows what it takes to adjust to the English game whereas the diminutive Russian magician would arrive at a very different social and football community.

Although talent knows no borders or languages, yet there is a feeling Alonso’s battle-hardened experience in the English game as well as in the Champions League would serve the purpose of Arsene Wenger very well in the long run and one has to keep in mind the fact that Cesc Fabregas, early in the season, had stressed that fellow Spaniard Alonso’s arrival at N5 would take the red half of North London to a next level. If Alonso get to play in place of Fabregas, it would be so ironical as it was the former’s challenge on Sunday that sent the young Spaniard to the treatment table for the next four to five months.

Now it is up to Arsene Wenger to choose between versatility and experience when he sits down with the club’s directors in January to sign either Alonso or Arshavin or who knows may be someone else Arsenal fans least expect to see at the Emirates.