Last season saw Arsenal finish out of the top 4 for the first time in 19 seasons. The impetus was expected to be on Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal moguls to be active in the transfer market. Though Arsenal dipped into the transfer market and addressed several key issues such as a fresh option up front and some stability down the left, their window cannot really be deemed as a success.
They’ve managed to sign Kolasinac and Lacazette. Let’s see how the summer signings have fared so far.
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Sead Kolasinac:
Previous Club: FC Schalke
Fee: Free Transfer
Age: 24
Appearances: 6
Goals: 2
Assists: 2
Clean Sheets: 2
Sead Kolasinac has had a lackluster start to the season. There have been flashes of brilliance and he is yet to put a foot wrong in Arsenal colors; but he’s missed out on a few occasions, baffling the fans and pundits alike.
He was a mainstay in the Schalke team, even making it to the Bundesliga XI as the left back. It was expected of him to feature more often this season. He’s been involved in the last three fixtures. He has scored two goals so far, this season both of which were significant strikes. His goal against Chelsea in the Community Shield started the turnaround, and his strike against Koln in the Champions League helped Arsenal fight back from a goal down. He has been a creative outlet too, assisting 2 goals in as many appearances. So far, he can be termed as a hit considering the impact he has had on the team.
Rating: 7/10
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Alexandre Lacazette:
Previous Club: Olympique Lyonnais FC
Age: 26
Transfer fee: £52million
Appearances: 6
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Alexandre Lacazette was a long overdue signing for Arsenal FC. As adept as Giroud is at goalscoring, he does not offer versatility up front. Lacazette provides a different dimension to the attack with considerably more pace than his contemporary. His impact this season has been a tad bit disappointing.
He has shown enormous promise for the long run, and it seems like the Frenchman will take some time to get in sync with the Premier League. Among his strengths are his superior finishing ability and goal-poaching game sense. It won’t hurt to say his season ahead holds a lot more promise than what has been seen.
