Arsenal did not sign even a single player during the January window so it is going to be a very busy summer for the Premier League side. Mikel Arteta’s side have narrowly missed out on the top four so the manager needs to bring in proper reinforcements so that his side can put up a better challenge next season.
Several names are being linked with them but according to pundit Paul Merson, Arsenal should focus on signing experienced players who can guide them through tough times.
‘The next few players Arsenal buy need to be experienced professionals in my opinion, ideally 28 or 29 years old. They need experience in the team. They have a lorryload of promising youngsters but they froze when it came to the crunch. They’ve got to get some experience in the team,’ Merson told the Daily Star.
‘Gabriel Jesus would be a good fit. He’s only 25 but he ticks the boxes because he scores goals, Arteta knows him, and he has experience of winning trophies with Manchester City. It’s alright having young players but the problem is one minute they are up high and the next minute they are down low.
‘They can’t play well every week. It’s impossible. That comes with age. So they need to be helped along. And Arsenal don’t have the quality, experienced leaders to do that. This is a hard league – and they get targeted as well. Teams tell players to pick Bukayo Saka up now because they know he’s a big danger man.
Eddie Nketiah’s new contract will be valid until June 2027. Five year deal now set to be signed, as Arsenal wanted him to stay at all costs. ⚪️🔴 #AFC
Crystal Palace, West Ham and two Bundesliga clubs approached Eddie but he’s staying. pic.twitter.com/tQQmBtpSNL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2022
‘It’s about getting through those rough 20 minutes in games at places like Newcastle where you have to get a result. You learn that as you get older.
‘That’s the most important thing in this next window – bringing in experience. It’s their biggest window in a massively long time if I’m being honest. They got it so wrong in January. I don’t know anybody who thinks that was a success.
‘The season has been disappointing because they’ve punched above their weight. They started with three straight defeats remember. But if they get it right this time I think they’re in for a good season, I really do. The kids will be a year older. They should have a stronger side if they buy well.’
Do Arsenal need to change their transfer strategy?
In the past decade, Arsenal have predominantly focused on signing relatively unknown players and also relying on academy youngsters but this plan has mostly fallen flat.
Yes, several good players have come up through the ranks but the lack of big-name players has been detrimental to Arsenal on multiple occasions. When the going gets tough, these young players completely crumble under pressure as they have no one to look up to.
Merson has hit the nail on the head because we also think Mikel Arteta needs to find a proper leader for his side, someone who will guide the team – not only on the pitch but also behind the scenes.
Arsenal need leaders like Vieira, Bergkamp and Henry because a bunch of youngsters will only get them so far.
During the 2021/22 season, Arsenal suffered lost 13 league games and drew only three but if they had a couple of experienced players in the team we are certain that several of these losses would have been converted to a draw or even a win.
