Wenger risking Arsenal wrath signing injury-prone youngster

Arsene Wenger’s confirmation that Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Yaya Sanogo from French second-tier side Auxerre indicates that the veteran French coach has not learned any lessons from the Abou Diaby escapade.

The French under-21 international is set to pen a four-year deal with the Gunners when his current contract expires at the end of the season, but it is his injury record that should be a concern for their fans.

An unquestionable talent, the 20-year-old has bagged eight goals in seven league starts this season, taking his career total to 16 in 24 appearances.

His scoring statistics read like a dream and his physicality is something that has been absent from the Arsenal frontline since the days of Emmanuel Adebayor. Worryingly, though, he’s already missed two full years of action owing to a horrific leg break he suffered in the 2010-11 campaign.

Already boasting one youngster blighted by injury in Jack Wilshere, as well as the perennially stricken Diaby, would it be a wise move for the north Londoners to invest in another player known to spend more time with the physio than his teammates?

Diaby, also signed from Auxerre, has only been able to showcase his brilliance in glimpses throughout his Gunners career on account of the ridiculous amount of injuries he picks up.

This is a constant source of frustration for the Arsenal faithful, who don’t seem to need much of an excuse to vent their spleen in Wenger’s direction these days.

However, it would be unreasonable to assume that the Frenchman is sanctioning the move without being assured of Sanogo’s long-term fitness and, if he is over the worst of his troubles, it could prove to be some more textbook Wenger astuteness in the transfer market as the Gunners finally seek to end their long wait for a trophy.

As it stands, the north Londoners are 16/1 shots to win next season’s Premier League.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date