With the transfer window at a close, Arsenal have failed to bring in the necessary requirements to mount a title challenge.
Fans of the club are furious that there were no investments after Alexandre Lacazette, who signed for Arsenal back in July for a record fee of £46.5 million.
Prior to Lacazette, Arsenal had made a great signing in Sead Kolasinac; a hard working defender from Schalke 04 on a free transfer. Quite a good signing considering he was featured Bundesliga Team of the Season last term.
Things looked positive; Wenger was in France with Gazidis actively getting involved with transfers. Arsenal had reportedly submitted an £87 million bid for teenage wonder-kid Kylian Mbappe, the Gunners broke their transfer record on a world class striker, and next in line was Monaco sensation Thomas Lemar, who had agreed to join the club back in July. Wenger informed fans and journalists that they were still active for two or three more top quality signings. So where did it all go wrong?
Unfortunately, since the two early signings, Arsenal failed to capture many of their big star targets that Wenger had wanted. Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar, Riyad Mahrez, Virgil van Dijk, Julian Draxler and Jean Seri were all plausible and linked with Arsenal, but nothing finalised with any of them. Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were involved in exit speculation which apparently halted the incoming of players.
In light of two back to back defeats in the league, speculation was circulating about player clashes and dressing room spats. Ideally this would have been the time to bring in players to lift the mood of the dressing room and get the fans, journalists and pundits off of Arsenal’s back.
Instead, it led to Oxlade-Chamberlain securing a move to Liverpool for £40 million. It also led to Alexis Sanchez staying at Arsenal despite many indications that he wanted to leave.
Wenger had stated the board were reluctant to spend more money when the wish list was so large, which led to the outgoing of 11 first team players. Owner Stan Kroenke also came out and stated there was no money for incoming players, which prompted fury from fans and ex-players, including Arsenal legend Ian Wright.
Now, the transfer window is closed and Arsenal have predominately the same squad that finished outside the top four last season. They are nowhere near good enough to compete with the other top five sides. This being because Arsenal did not address the problems that lay at the end of last season.
What was needed was a striker, a winger to play on the opposite side to Sanchez, a central midfielder to partner Xhaka whilst being a long term Cazorla replacement, and a leader of a centre-back.
One positive we can take out of the window is Alexis Sanchez staying at Arsenal, although this may also be seen as a negative considering his lack of motivation to play for Arsenal may cause conflict within the dressing room and cause a toxic atmosphere that may affect the other players.
Overall this has been a very weak and underwhelming window. Fans feel lied to, players are dissatisfied with the club’s ambition, the manager is under immense pressure and the board is as silent as ever.
