Coquelin proves his worth to Wenger

While it's fair to say almost every Arsenal fan has been calling for Arsene Wenger to add a new defensive midfielder to his squad, not many felt they had a player capable of filling the void already in the squad.

There have been various stories linking Wenger with a host of midfielders over the past six months, but it could be that the Gunners have solved their problems with the emergence of Francis Coquelin. If anyone doubted just how good Coquelin was, the youngster's performance in the Gunners' FA Cup victory over Manchester Unitedproved that the answer to Arsenal's midfield problems was in the squad all along.

In November, Coquelin found himself farmed out to Charlton in the Championship and all but set for a permanent move away from the Emirates when the January transfer window opened.

A few months later and the Frenchman is a crucial part of the Arsenal side and set to sign a new long-term contract with the club. After just three appearances for Charlton, Coquelin's loan spell at the Valley was brought to a premature end, with Arsenal suffering an injury crisis in their midfield withAaron Ramsey, Mathieu Flamini and Jack Wilshere all sidelined.

A string of eye-catching performances since being brought back into the fold have put fresh life in the 23-year-old's Arsenal career, with some Gooners now of the view that the club could save the £25 million that had reportedly been set aside to sign Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlinin the summer. It will be an interesting season at the Emirates and it will be worth following the news and expert opinion on Arsenal’s transfer business at blue square.

While there are still a number of Arsenal fans who feel Coquelin doesn't have the physical presence to ever be a top defensive midfielder, that number will continue to dwindle if the Frenchman can continue to produce the sort of performances he has achieved in recent weeks.

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