Arsenal’s early promise in the transfer window was eventually undone by a lack of further progress and a shambolic Deadline Day that appeared to have no plan whatsoever and has inevitably provided more questions than answers over the direction the club is now heading in, not to mention the futures of their two biggest assets.
What they did – Signed a star striker and one of Europe’s best young defenders
It’s always best to get your business done early and that’s exactly what Arsenal did, tying up Sead Kolasinac’s services at the end of last season and signing Alexandre Lacazette at the start of July. They’ve been given practically as long as possible to settle into life in north London and on paper at least, both are solid additions – regardless of the Gunners’ horrendous start to the season on the pitch.
Arsenal have been calling out for a pacey striker with predatory instincts for a good few seasons now and that’s exactly what the France international is – tellingly of how influential he can be, he grabbed a goal just minutes into his Premier League debut. Likewise, Kolasinac is just 24 years of age and claimed a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season for 2016/17. Signing him on a free transfer is a fantastic piece of business and he also offers Arsenal some much-needed physicality in defence.
On the outward front too, the Gunners shifted a fair chunk of the deadwood, something they haven’t always managed down the years. Kieran Gibbs, Gabriel Paulista, Wojciech Szczesny and Yaya Sanogo have all been moved on, while Carl Jenkinson, Joel Campbell and Lucas Perez have been sent out on loan. That’s at the very least reduced the wage bill.
What they didn’t do – Resolve the futures of key players or strengthen the weak areas
Arsenal’s Deadline Day was nothing short of abysmal, epitomised by the circus surrounding Arsenal’s last-minute £92million attempt to sign Monaco’s Thomas Lemar and the subsequent collapse of a £60million deal that would have seen Alexis Sanchez move to Manchester City.
While some Arsenal fans will argue it’s better to have Sanchez for the rest of the season than an incredibly expensive replacement who may or may not be good enough, it’s likely the Chile international will struggle to produce his best form and that Arsenal will lose him for free when his contract expires next summer.
Arsenal did at least manage to secure a fee for another contract rebel in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but Mesut Ozil’s situation remains completely unresolved. That confusion is acting like a dark cloud hanging over the club and only adding to an already toxic environment created by the sustained disillusionment towards Wenger. It sounds strange, but the Gunners probably would have been better off selling both, even if they couldn’t find replacements in time.
The other concern is whether Arsenal have actually arrested their biggest gaps in terms of quality. Laurent Koscielny remains the only truly convincing centre-back option and Wenger’s choices in the middle of the park are rather unspectacular; the most ill-disciplined ‘holding’ midfielder of all time in Granit Xhaka, a wannabe No.10 in Aaron Ramsey and two workaday playbreakers in Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin, neither of whom are truly of top four standard.
Anything else?
The overriding concern is how much of a mess the transfer window was and how many decisions seemed to lack any logic. Why did it take until the final hours of the transfer window for Arsenal to discover Thomas Lemar didn’t want to sign for them? Why are Arsenal turning down £20million for Calum Chambers when he hasn’t kicked a ball this season? Why did the Gunners spend much of Deadline Day toying with the fate of a key player who clearly wanted to leave, Sanchez, before pulling the plug on a deal?
Why haven’t we heard anything about Ozil’s future? Why was Shkodran Mustafi essentially put up for sale during the last week of the window? Why did Arsenal make two signings at the start of the summer, both of whom were inexplicably dropped for the 4-0 defeat at Anfield, and then not follow it up with anything until the last-minute Lemar bid?
Why did Arsenal accept a £10million bid for Mohamed Elneny, but then bring him back into the first team in time for the Premier League’s opening weekend? And most crucially, why is Mathieu Debuchy still an Arsenal player?
It all hints at a manager once excused from bad results because of his long-term vision lacking any real plan, transfer window or otherwise. Based on not necessarily the quality of their signings but certainly the constant disorganisation and nonsensical approach, it looks set to be another long season for Arsenal fans.