Premier League 2021/22: Arsenal’s transfer strategy and the uncertainties that remain

Premier League 2021/22: Arsenal’s transfer strategy and the uncertainties that remain

One of the reasons behind Gunners’ poor performance at the start of the 2021/22 season is Arsenal’s transfer strategy. Despite being the highest spenders in Europe, Mikel Arteta and men have failed to produced the results in the first three games in the English top-flight.

In the first game of the campaign, Arsenal lost 2-0 to the newly promoted Brentford whereas in the second game of the campaign, Chelsea defeated them with the same margin in the London derby. In the final game before the international break, Manchester City battered them 5-0 at Etihad. This is not the embarrassment for the team. The embarrassment is they are in the 20th position in the points table.

Where it has gone wrong? Where the English Premier League outfit has to improve? What are the uncertainties that remain and how to address those? Let us see in the article!

Arsenal’s transfer strategy since last five seasons

Arsenal's Transfer Strategy
SeasonArsenal Transfer SpendingKey Players added
2021/22€165.6 millionBen White and Martin Odegaard
2020/21€86.00 millionThomas Partey and Gabriel Maghalaes
2019/20€160.40 millionNicolas Pepe, William Saliba and Kieran Tierney
2018/19€80.15 millionLucas Torreira and Bernd Leno
2017/18€152.85 millionPierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal are one of the biggest spenders in the English Premier League for the last five seasons. They have averaged 129 million per season spending and have spent 645 million euros in the last five summer transfer windows. The team has signed the global stars during these times but have failed to keep up the momentum or get a perfect line up.

In the last five seasons, it is evident that the Gunners have splashed the cash but on the wrong players. In the 2017/18 season, they signed Aubameyang and Lacazette and still went on to splash more on Pepe in the 2019/20 season. The number of matches that Pepe has played is very less and has not lived upto the hype.

Arsenal's Transfer Strategy

Ever since the appointment of Arteta, they have signed the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel Maghalaes and Ben White to fill the central defender role but none of these have clocked more than 25 games per season. Ben White has featured in only one season in the English Premier League but the Gunners broke the transfer record to bring the player from Brighton.

Despite having one of the world class playmaker of the stature like Mesut Ozil, Arsenal let him go on free last season due to the rising tension between the German and the manager. Now the club signed one more playmaker from Real Madrid, Martin Odegaard, to fill the void in the midfield. Hector Bellerin, one of the most faithfuls was made to move away from Emirates and was replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Also, the club sold Emiliano Martinez in the last summer only to sign Aaron Ramsdale from the Championship outfit, Sheffield United. Barring Aubameyang, Lacazette, Xhaka and Holding, there is no leader in the dressing room for Arsenal.

Arsenal’s transfer and managerial uncertainties

Arsenal's Transfer Strategy

Over the last five seasons, Arsenal have seen three managerial changes. Due to changing nature of the English Premier League and pressure from the fanbase, Gunners replaced the legendary gaffer, Arsene Wenger with the Paris St Germain gaffer, Unai Emery. The famously known Mr. Europa League was replaced when the team failed to keep the momentum going at the start of 2018/19 season. The current Villareal gaffer had lost the confidence of the dressing room and was replaced by the former Arsenal player and Pep Guardiola’s assistant, Mikel Arteta.

There is a famous proverb in Kannada saying which can explain the dire situation at Emirates. The Kannada proverb states that from the frying pan to fire. It is the state of the North London outfit. They have fallen and are in search of the light at the end of the tunnel. The team missed the European action for the 2021/22 season whereas they found themselves in a deep trouble right now.

The transfer uncertainties, the Super League rumours and players’ discontent in the dressing room has contributed the downfall of the team. It remains interesting to see how Mikel Arteta will address the situation when the Premier League action resumes on 11th September.

(All stats from fbref.com and transfermarkt.com)

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