Are Arsenal no longer an attractive football club?

A few years back when Arsenal were pictured with the likes of Almunia, Gallas, Denilson and Bendtner as first team regulars, it would’ve been understandable to suggest that Arsenal had lost its attraction as a major club, not just in the Premier League but in European football. Times were hard with little money movement and players jumping ship, however Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger managed to maintain Arsenal’s position in England, before returning to competing for major honours some years down the line.

Admittedly those early years after moving to the Emirates was a major struggle for the club and we largely gave up challenging for major honours with the squad that we had, in order to pay off our financial quotas. However that era has passed and three seasons ago, Arsenal returned to winning ways with FA CUP success in 2014. From the 2013-14 season we begun attracting some of Europe’s finest players again, players who are sure to remain legends of the club. But do Arsenal still struggle to be an attractive option for every player? Ex-Arsenal man and current pundit Alan Smith reckons so. Smith told Sky Sports:

“It’s not often someone turns down Arsenal, especially from a Premier League club and a so-called smaller one, although they are champions. But times have changed. When I went from Leicester to Arsenal it was different. Leicester were always struggling against relegation and the difference in money was there. I saw it as a move that could improve my career and to challenge for trophies, which proved to be the case – we won a lot – but he obviously feels he can get everything he needs at Leicester.”
So although this story surrounds Jamie Vardy’s rejection of Arsenal in particular, I’m sure it can relate to other players both past and present and he makes a valid point. Quite simply If Leicester hadn’t won the league last season, I don’t think there would be any doubt in Vardy’s decision and the Englishman surely would’ve signed for the Gunners. However because Leicester won the league, although they still won’t be classed as a ‘big club’ in Europe, it still currently put Vardy and co in the bracket above Arsenal and clearly from Vardy’s perspective, Arsenal therefore isn’t an attractive option.

The same notion may be applied to other players who have rejected us for another Premier League club such as Chelsea or Manchester City. Do players see those clubs as more ambitious than Arsenal? Is it because Arsenal refuse to enter the same wage bracket as Europe’s richest clubs? Quite simply in order to become an attractive option to all, the club needs to prove to players like Vardy (who wouldn’t even be deemed as world class) that there is more chance of success at Arsenal, than there is at their current clubs.

What could Arsenal do to improve the attraction of the club? Is there still plenty to prove that we are able to compete at the highest level again?

By AH

7 Comments

  1. Arsenal are still an attractive football club to play for…
    Wenger is not an attractive manager to play for anymore..
    There’s a lot of difference..
    Who would turn down playing for Arsenal if Pep was the manager for example?? Very few I should think.

  2. First, i think Vardy snub is the best blessing in disguise we will ever get. i do not think Vardy would exactly light up Emirates. It is other players in the team that have made Vardy the top striker of last season and at Arsenal we have a different set of players who can do much more but Vardy would limit their capacities. Lets look for a striker who fits Arsenal.

    Giroud does not fully fit in too. That’s the problem with Wenger. He seems to look for strikers whose job is not really to strike but do other things. Winning is everything and Wengerplay lately is not winning things. Look at the input Ozil has had and he ends up with no trophy! Ozil with a good striker would have reached 30 assists leave alone the 19 he is being praised over. We must get people like Mkhitaryan and Mahrez to compliment the talents we boast of like Ozil and Sanchez. Then lets get a person who knows where the net really is and we are good to go.

    Wenger will claim these guys are not there but players are moving. other players are asking us to look their way. some players even when in lower leagues are performing greatly and could be brought in first as squad players.

    If i was Wenger i would sign Mkhitaryan, and either Hull’s Abel Hernández or Burnley’s Andre Gray together with Vincent Janssen, and sign about two defenders to cover for centre back and left back positions. Unfortunately those are about 4 more players and Wenger already has a figure of three and one is already signed up… the other unfortunate thing is Wenger sticks to a football plan and even football players. He could be looking for a substitute attacker to Giroud and most players out there are better than Giroud.

  3. I am sure AW will buy a defender but not a striker. As always he moans about no striker available with quality and right price. As usual he will say we have team with enough quality. What we need is a killer striker who can score goals 25 – 30 goals that will boost the confidence of other players. I guess why no one wants to come to arsenal is because they get to played out of position all the time. Giroiud is good in air but he lacks aggressiveness for goals, welbeck is not consistent as he is always hit with injuries. Whats going on with jenkinson ? I think he is ready for first team init?

  4. It’s only attractive for the up and coming youngsters,
    As wenger is well regarded in given them a fair chance to impress… and then they move on to the big clubs, who make it their business to win big trophies! ?

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