Arsenal’s Transfer Philosophy is Right by AI
There are not a lot of things currently going right with Arsenal as it is. One of the things going right on the button though is our transfer policy. The thing about transfer policies is that they are very contextual and situational in nature.
Manchester City, for example, ignoring their UEFA ban, are a club chasing their first Champions League in the medium term. Their squad is already one of the best around in the world. They have incredible depth in every position except for at centreback. And considering that they have bright youth players coming up through their academy, their transfer policy will be a careful search for world-class talents at the central defense position and reinforcements at wherever their head coach suggests. They have the financial power to pursue almost any player in the world and this makes such a policy a feasible one for them.
Arsenal are not in that position. We do not have external investment pouring like a flood into the team. Our squad has significant holes in places. The chances of a Champions League spot are slim and Europa League qualification is not assured. We are already walking a tightrope financially.
Our transfer policy therefore must be one that would most likely yield a Champions League spot in the nearest future. Of course, we could go all gung-ho next season and snap up big names in a bid to qualify immediately. But with the strength of other teams in the league and the state of our finances, it would be a great risk to do so.
Luckily, the team is not in total shambles. The defense is actually stable now and the attack is not so bad. The likes of Saliba are coming in to reinforce this defense, while the attack will get even better with the likes of Nketiah, Martinelli, Saka, Nelson being more experienced along with the likes of Aubameyang and Pepe.
The attacking midfield is our biggest issue as it is. We’ve bled too much in the way of technical and athletic ability in recent years. We need to recharge our creative juices. A big talent like 2014 Ozil will be absolutely critical here. That sort of transfer is still within the reach of our basic budget. With the potential sales of fringe players like Mkhitaryan, Elneny and one or two out of this current squad, we could afford another good addition to midfield. If Lacazette is sold, then we potentially have enough left to have another great transfer window.
This optimistic outlook on our upcoming transfer window has only been made possible by the past two ones, in which we have purchased great talents below their market value and have almost plugged up the defense and attack. Coming into this season, we all felt this was close to our strongest squad in years. Now it would be even more better if the Arsenal board persist with the sensible transfer policy from the last two seasons.
Agboola Israel