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Freepik.
Morning all.
We have heard a lot about transfers, the squad depth, ambition – you name it, we’ve heard it or read it. Whether it be Mikel Arteta or Josh Kroenke, the message has been clear. We’re in this game to win things and not just take part with this summer to be a busy one.
Arsenal began the season with a small squad. A small squad which shrunk as the days went by because we suffered injury after injury. Every single one who broke down was a key player. Yes, even Gabriel Jesus who had finally found a bit of rhythm to his game. The reasons behind such a vast number of injuries, many of which required surgery, is for the medical staff to deal with and together with Arteta, need to do all they can to prevent this coming season from being anywhere near as bad.
I think Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel will be ready for the new season but not Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Jesus.
Karl Hein, Reiss Nelson, Sambi Lokonga and Fabio Vieira, who have been out on loan all season are still under contract. Nelson and Vieira until 2027, Lokonga and Hein, 2026. I’d imagine all four will be sold this summer.
Sterling, Neto, Jorginho and Marquinhos have gone so by my maths, we have 18 senior players listed in the first team squad meaning there is room for 7 signings. Add in Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, we’re down to 5 although I know our two younger players don’t need to be listed because of their age.
7 or 5, what’s clear is that Arsenal need a lot of players this summer and that’s before anyone from last seasons squad is sold. The transfer window opened yesterday so today is what I’d call the first working day of the window so it’s time for all the talking to turn into walking.
Unlike the PGMOL staff, we can all see what’s clear and obvious. Arsenal are lacking creativity, a speedy winger who can do more than just run fast, a striker who not only knows it’s ok to move into the penalty area but it’s ok to shoot too! Stretching my hope out even more, perhaps he’ll believe it’s worth taking a shot from outside the box too.
Mikel Arteta needs to throw the predictable out the window and bring in the unpredictable. No, not in a Sterling kind of way when he didn’t even know what he was doing but organised and rehearsed unpredictability. We saw some of that last season with the long throws from Thomas Partey which might have worked had a tall striker been in the box but at the 100th time of trying, it was clear the long throws were a pointless exercise. We also saw a few different set piece routines but there’s always room for more.
This isn’t a summer for signing just numbers, it has to be a summer of numbers and quality. There is no point in signing a player who is just going to literally make up the numbers, he has to be someone who Mikel Arteta is prepared to play out of choice, or for tactical reasons rather than necessity. I know, you guys already know that.
Just as I know that you know, Arsenal need to get their deals over the line as swiftly as possible because as we have said before, most other clubs will and we could end up missing out. Our football might be slow, steady and sometimes laboured but the transfer teams actions over the next few weeks and months cannot be.
Catch up in the comments.