The summer transfer window finally shut its doors last night after what has been an exciting two months of endless transfer sagas and controversies. The end of transfer season sees clubs that are better off than last season. Manchester United successfully managed to sign Lukaku after a long transfer tussle, while Chelsea signed Morata in retaliation. Manchester City managed to address their weak points by adding significant firepower to their lacklustre backline. Tottenham started the window slowly, but have 3 signings to show for, especially that of Llorente.
Without a shade of doubt, the team worst hit by the transfer window are Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger and Arsenal finished last season in a Europa League spot. That was a massive demotion considering how consistent the club has been in securing a top 4 finish year after year. Manchester United too finished in the Europa League in Louis van Gaal’s last season at the club, but they went on to sign top class players to ensure they don’t remain there.
It was expected of Arsenal to try and spend the cash and bring in reinforcements and remove the deadwood in an attempt to bring back the days of constancy, at the very least. But in a typical Arsenal manner, they’ve managed to bottle the transfer window too.
The signing of Sead Kolasinac and Lacazette early on in the window was positive and showed the club’s intent in making a statement to their fellow rivals. That excitement has since been doused.
Failing to sign any more attacking players, and sticking with the same squad that massively underperformed last season doesn’t do the trick; not when every team around is gaining massive strides via smart transfers.
Arsenal have an alarming lack of depth. Their players are not good enough, and even the ones that are good enough aren’t showing signs of promise.
The sale of Oxlade Chamberlain and Gabriel further infuriated the Gunners fans. Gabriel, while not the best of defenders; was a decent CB who could be given another chance. Arsenal were very close to agreeing on an exit for Mustafi too.
Another defender who did bite the dust was Gibbs, who will now be plying his trade at West Bromwich Albion.
With the sale of Oxlade Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs; one must have expected Arsene to splash the cash on deadline day to get in someone to, at the very least, inject some life into a lifeless dressing room.
There is a positive though, or is there? Alexis Sanchez will stay at Arsenal, at least for the meantime. But several reports have emerged that suggest the Chilean had already informed his colleagues of a move to City. But Arsenal kept the striker on hold, as they wanted to wrap up the Lemar deal, which hit a brick wall in the last few minutes of the window as the player decided against moving to Arsenal.
Now they have an unhappy player, an incomplete squad and a demoralizing atmosphere at the club.
Surely, one of their worst transfer windows in their history. The only way forward for them is to ensure Alexis and Ozil sign contract extensions as letting them go for nothing next summer would just add more misery and humiliation for the Gunners.
