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Why Victor Wanyama Would Be Ready-Made Replacement for Alex Song, Arsenal

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Alex Song is an underrated Premier League player in the grand scheme of things, but there are several players around world football that could do good jobs as his replacement.

The player that I think presents both the most talent and value for money is Victor Wanyama.

I believe he would cost anywhere between £5-8 million, but compared to the silly-money spending in the EPL for players of a similar ilk, it's a bargain.

Despite Song and Wanyama being different players, the core values they bring to teams are the same; they are both versatile and have great distribution despite being primarily defensive-minded players.

As a Rangers fan, I was happy to see that we were linked with the Kenyan international back when he was at Beerschot AC, but Celtic were smart enough to snap up the 21-year-old around a year ago and have never looked back since.

At 6'2" and with a muscular physique, Wanyama can unsurprisingly perform well at centre-back but defensive midfield is where he really thrives the most.

Wanyama is that under-the-radar player that breaks up the play, allowing things to keep ticking over until the team's playmakers get their feet on the ball.

It's not certain that Song even wants to leave, but with a deal appearing to be close, Arsenal could do worse than to open talks with Celtic.

Celtic do not need to sell, but it's clear that Wanyama wants to play at a higher level, and he is one of several SPL players who is actually good enough to do so.

The Daily Mail reported a few weeks back that Arsenal saw Wanyama as an option, and despite no solid quotes in the article, this limited reporting may actually turn out to be true.

Wanyama can do a little bit of everything, whether it be getting his head to the ball, showing some nice touches or drilling 25-yard screamers into the top corner of the net.

Wanyama suits the Arsenal mold well and would also bring a little bit of physicality that may be missing.

At only 21 Wanyama is still raw and has much to learn, but he already has the skills to do well at a higher level, and it wouldn't surprise me if he follows the likes of Nikica Jelavic into the Premier League and does very well.

The competition would be a step up, but he is already accustomed to playing under pressure.

Playing in Glasgow is like playing in a cauldron, and he would actually enjoy the more mild-mannered Arsenal fans, I'm sure.

He is used to more fan pressure with Celtic than he would get in London, and I'm sure that means he will be ready for anything thrown at him.

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