Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has told setanta.com that Denilson has all the qualities required to become a Gunners great.
Vieira was the midfield colossus that helped drive Arsenal to three Premier League titles and four FA Cup triumphs but his industry and craft has never been adequately replaced and the club have not won a trophy since his departure in 2005.
Gilberto Silva and then Mathieu Flamini both enjoyed spells partnering the more creative Cesc Fabregas but last summer witnessed the departure of the pair from Emirates Stadium, with the Frenchman turning down a new contract to join Milan and the Brazilian jumping ship to Panathinaikos.
That, coupled with the sale of Lassana Diarra to Portsmouth 12 months ago, opened the door for Denilson to assume a key first team role and it is a chance that he has not spurned, with the young Brazilian starting 16 of 17 Premier League games this season.
Questions have been asked of whether Denilson has the quality required to be a long-term partner for Fabregas but Vieira certainly feels that he is a fitting companion for the new Arsenal captain.
“I think Denilson is a wonderful player,” Vieira told setanta.com when speaking at a fans’ event for Ford’s FeelFootball campaign.
“He has so many qualities and is a terrific player.
“Of course he is young, I think it is the first year he is playing really often in The Premiership, so he just needs time. The more he plays, the better he will be.
“It is not easy because Flamini was the best player last year so losing Flamini was a big blow for Arsenal.
“And now all the belief and the trust is on Denilson and we just need to give him time to develop as a player. As the long term he can be one of the best players at Arsenal.”
Midfield has been identified as a weak point in the current Arsenal side that has already lost five games this season and Wenger has been linked with a possible move for Barcelona’s Yaya Toure.
However, in a stance that will no doubt resonate with his famously frugal former mentor, Vieira does not feel that splashing out in the January transfer window is necessarily the answer to the club’s current problems.
“Of course having players will help them to get better as a team, but I think what they really need at the moment is to find this togetherness and be more strong as a team,” Vieira added.
“I think that will help them maybe more than getting players around.”