Arsenal have a winger problem- and it doesn’t reflect well on their transfer policy
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Leave aside the loan of Mat Ryan and the imminent signing of Martin Odegaard on loan from Real Madrid, Arsenal have made some questionable decisions in the transfer market. Couple that with the amount of money lost on players leaving for free, it is no wonder that Arsenal seem to be stuck in a financial crisis most of the time. Arsenal needs to use their head properly and make effective signings in order to actually get better financially.
It doesn’t have to be world-class names as unknown players can have maximum effect too
You aren’t expected to make game-changing signings every transfer window as getting back-up for your starters is a good thing. Football isn’t a game about which teams have the most talented names in their squad, it is more of which team has the players that play the best for them. Consider Liverpool signing Diogo Jota this season or Andy Robertson a couple of seasons ago. The former was signed in order to rest the established front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino while the latter was signed to replace Alberto Moreno.
Both of them weren’t too famous players and in fact Diogo Jota was not even the main attacker in Wolves while Andy Robertson was relegated with Hull the season he was signed by Liverpool. Both of them aren’t established names, but have had maximum impact for Liverpool considering that Jota was scoring for fun while in Liverpool and Robertson is one of the greatest left-backs for Liverpool and in the league.
Arsenal have signed Pepe and Willian in back to back seasons and they haven’t taken too much time to establish themselves as bad signings. Pepe was signed for £72 million and has not remotely justified the amount spent on him while Willian came with a high wage demand. 55 Arsenal staff workers were laid off before his signing was announced and even Gunnersaurus was not spared. Mesut Ozil readily offered to pay the wages of their mascot Gunnersaurus after it was announced. Both Willian and Pepe seem to obstruct Arsenal’s way of play and are more a liability than an asset.
Mikel Arteta has far talented and consistent youngsters than both of them, but in the end they are youngsters. They need to be rested more than the senior players in order for them to not suffer burnout and that’s what Arteta did in their recent FA Cup meeting with Southampton. Main players Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette were rested and other fringe players made the team. Willian and Pepe had a chance to prove that as seniors they were more experienced than the youngsters and could play more.
Except it was a disaster from them and again showed Arteta why they should not be selected over the in-form youngsters.
Also read: Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane tests positive for COVID-19
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Rohan Aditya
(247 Articles Published)