Premier league summer transfer review and what it means for Arsenal in the season ahead by Tom
Come 2019 May the 4th and Unai will learn if his Arsenal have had the force with them. He will learn which players have taken on his new ideas and which have struggled to adapt. He will know which players are needed and of the loaned – which are ready to come back and be first teamers – all whilst learning which of the new signings have taken to the league.
What makes Arsenal’s rise back to the top difficult is the modern market status. Today the market is different. In the past the likes of Vieira wouldn’t have gone to United amongst the interest. Today it’s a likely outcome. RVP to United, Matic to United, Sanchez, Sterling to City, Ox to Liverpool, Giroud to Chelski, Walker to City, Welbeck to Arsenal, Cech to Arsenal, Mata to United…
If the likes of Torriera becomes as mighty as Kante why wouldn’t Arsenal take £70m from PSG or City?
For Arsenal Fans hoping to expect ‘mighty Arsenal’ now it’s near impossible. Even to get Arsenal to win the league and maintain its levels of excellence is impossible.
The best Arsenal can expect is to one day win the league and prepare again to win it within 5 years. No team is going to dominate – we are yet to see if City will!!
So Unai in 2019 end of season will be looking to see the heights of the challenge ahead. We want the league, but in truth how close can we get. Is Unai the Rogers before the Klopp, the Pellegrini before the Pep or is it Wenger before the Wenger before Unai the slayer – the league winner. If it is, it’s not this season ahead. A lot of work is needed.
But to put it all into perspective as to why I believe this, I have some useful information.
• Average spent by premier league clubs this window : € 70.461.000
• 208 arrives (Average of 10.4 players per club)
• €857,130,000 was spent by clubs outside of the top 6 with an average of €35,713.750 per club.
• €-50.847.650 was the average of each club on the balance sheet of ins and outs from this summer window.
2017 Arsenal revenue was £423.90m pre tax whilst operation and wages costs where at £337.7m. The difference here is £86.20m pre tax profit.
On this knowledge, Arsenal will only spend approx £100m per transfer window…unless a super offer comes in for a player or we dip into the previous season’s earnings. But looking at the stats above we see the power of all clubs in the league now – competition is as hard as ever.
Buying power isn’t where we will win the war!!
This is why the model of buy talent (Torriera) at a fair price and sell on at a huge profit in the future is the best way to win the league for Arsenal. We don’t have the power of paying players or buying players the top dollar.
Our Owner gets stick because he doesn’t put in his own money but why should he? They have funded the growth with their money, and top that up with cash for transfers… Albeit it only maybe 30% towards the total budget, but why should we demand more? Because City have a mindless owner? Because Chelski have a boy with a toy owner?
I’m not going to start the debate of what’s right and wrong off the pitch at arsenal. My focus is always Arsenal football. And Unai this year has to get into that top 4.
It’s hard to gauge Arsenal fans online because some might be fans during the Wenger days, others like me the George Graham days and others even before. Some have perspective based on a history of what the club has done over 25 years, others 2 and a half years.
All I know is it’s like snakes and ladders. Under Wenger for sure we climbed the ladders and grew, but it’s not that now we have fallen down a snake (no kroene pun intended) but the game board has just got bigger and we have further to go. That’s the reality of football with years perspective imo!!!!
Win against City and everyone will be expecting us to win the league, lose and it’s crisis…and draw and we will be no wiser to the good.
The season will be tough, and we won’t see the full Arsenal we want. But allow time and support the building work now. It’s time we live in a society that is respectful of hard work again…and Arsenal will have to put in hard work to achieve some of our immediate goals… all be it just a top four spot.
Tom
Arsenal’s glory days are over.
We just have to accept this and understand that winning the league or even qualifying for the CL is beyond us now.
Its not being pessimistic – we simply cannot or will not compete financially.
And that’s the bottom line..
I’m sure Liverpool fans once said this shìt about their team. Now the whole world believes they will be the only team to Challenge City for the league. I’m not gon pick on you for saying what you think, but I’d say the future isn’t all doom, rather look for the light at the end of the tunnel. For now it’s a business for Kroenke but you should also know the moment Arsenal stop being a top club, Kroenke will have to sell because the club will lose it’s value and there are lots of billionaires looking to buy Arsenal, that’s why I believe even Kroenke himself will not allow Arsenal turn to a mid table team. That aside, this squad looks happy and determined
I thought spurs are not competing financially and are still able to me top 4. So I wonder how you came to your conclusion. Spending money does not guarantee success. With this better manger I think things can happen. Watching the first two live matches has shown that premier league’s level is gone up again and am glad we now have a manger who believes in hard work.
Luck… it won’t last too long. Bale’s money was spent, but it was Kane’s coming that saw them do well. If Kane is out, the Spurs totter…
Arsenal’s luck ran out when Russian buying of the EPL was allowed despite the money coming from crooks, who run that country. Funny money runs a part of the UK…
Wenger was a once in a life time coach. He could not compete with thugs and crooks.
Now PSG is run by ME kleptocrats…
So, the best bet is to get a crook to fund Arsenal to we can compete.
Wow!! Only you will call being the only team to finish in the EPL top 3 for the last 3 seasons luck….Arsene Wenger will still be here if only he could have achieved that
I refuse to accept this situation
I’m worried Arsenal will slowly become like Newcastle and Everton
I bet Kroenke is just waiting for a mega offer, which could be too much for the tycoons and the sheikhs
What are you going to do?
gotanidea, the reason you think like that is because you’re a newcomer. Over the last sixty years supporting Arsenal we’ve been through many crisis situations but the one thing that’s never been in doubt is that we’ve always been a top club and we always will be. Doesn’t matter where we finish, we are Arsenal Football Club.
?
lucky our aspiring young guns at academy level don’t have you to give prep talks else parents and support would take these kids out of there – and do it in a flash… Arsenal have more glory days to come and if you don’t believe it why taken up space (here)?
You say its because of our refusal to “…compete financially” – i think there’s other factors like sometimes allowing players the likes of de bryne, mane, van diyk and many others before them to routinely slip under our radar. So finances, tactics, motivation are also predeterminate to finding a recipe for success (..sure you must know that..).
Money is everything in football.
If you have lots of it you will win things – its as simple as that.
Its not being negative or pessimistic its stating the undeniable facts.
Players like de bruyne do not slip under our radar, we have massive scouting systems in Europe where players are identified – we fail to sign them because we cannot compete with the likes of Chelsea and City.
That is why we pour so much blind faith in average players like Torreira and Leno – these are players that will NOT win us anything. Really, they are no better than what we have already and we struggled to finish sixth last year with those players.
Arsenal have seen their best days – money determines everything in football. Everything.
…that finances are crucial is not up for debate – the notion cash “only” is the be all and end all is what i dispute (emphasis). Apart from repeating again there are other factors id also add that our support is a crucial factor. News travels quick and bad news quicker; Had leicester city’s fans had your belief and had world cup finalist croatia fans had your outlook they’d never have reached the lofty heights they did. if you ever care to look up “pessimist” you’l see your outlook there in the description – let’s get with the programme and have more belief in our team…
I except that we could never dominate the league like article mentions only I believe a club with cities backing could under right circumstances. If it was just city things would not be bad, we managed that well as can be expected when it was utd outspending everyone. But three R Madrids in the one league is just super tough on the heart strings. At least Abramovic seems to be coming in line with fair play rules he’s not nearly as extravagant as he used to be. Utd don’t need to come down for fair play (if its even a thing at this stage) because they were a true R Madrid only more worthy because Real and Barcelona have taken the all sportmanship out of la liga.
After next summers transfer window, that’s when I’m going to get very judgmental, he needs two more windows and by then we’ll have an idea on what type of football he wants us to play, there’ll be other signs too ie. man management skills, characteristics, tactics, etc. etc.
Next season I’ll expect a focused, finely tuned AFC with one main aim going into the season, silverware.
Torreira is a big step in the right direction
Emery must have been shocked that we didn’t have a quality DM in over a decade.
Guendouzi is also very good for a 19 year old. He should be excellent in his early to mid 20s.
What worries me about our future is Kroenke becoming the sole owner of Arsenal. He is a terrible owner. Just cares about owning sports franchises and making money not winning trophies like the Glaziers or Abramovich. They want to make money and win trophies. Kroenke could care less about the fans, ambition
How many times have you seen Torreira play?
How many times has he played for Arsenal? or in the premier league?
Friendlies are meaningless and are no gauge for how good a player is.
When you are getting battered by City on a Sunday afternoon or playing Huddersfield on a cold and wet Wednesday night in November – that is when you can judge a player.
None of those players Emery has signed makes me feel confident…
Me, if you are not happy with the players transferred in, given the budget available, who did you want Arsenal to sign?
Am looking forward to our game tomorrow, we will learn a bit more about our new manger and his players
The club has been “Kronked” I’m afraid. He values balance sheets not titles. Proof is all over the teams he owns. Sorry but Arsenal will not be any different; I’ve watched his malfeasance for decades here in the States.
The people that say it’s not so bad Kronke in control, it will be fine. Notice they don’t live in the States do they?
1. Ever see Denver Nuggets fan say it’s not so bad Kronke as owner? I haven’t either.
2. How about a Rams fan, or person from St. Louis?
Nope, not that either.
I’ve watched this financial leech and Vampire suck clubs dry here in States for decades.
I don’t expect much unfortunately; success will come from outperforming, not support from owner, trust me on that.
We need to stick together more than ever and run this bum out. Dig in for a long struggle my friends
Wenger wasn’t to blame for everything, but he was at fault for enough. Kronke never forced Wenger to do anything. Wenger was happy to sell Stan’s crap for £8 million a year. That’s what I blame Wenger for. His arrogance and love of paycheck and control over what he knew Kronke was doing to the club.
?
I was in Denver last year.
They don’t rate him highly and neither should Arsenal fans.
Arsenal fans should be worried…
with a name like “the Denver Nuggets” im not surprised they struggle 😀 anyways having an NFL team and a world brand football asset are two different things. Arsenal are alongside england’s 2 finest clubs ever – americans love to invest in history, property and nostalgia arsenal are the finest investment anyone could wish to be involved with. personally i don’t see arsenal becoming a “dud” anytime soon.
You do know his NFL team is valued higher than Arsenal don’t you? Forbes magazine says so, not me. Also the Rams stadium is over 5 billion, TWICE the value of Arsenal.
But go ahead and think Arsenal across the pond is somehow different to Stan Kronke.
It’s that kind of arrogance that allowed Stan to get his foot in the door my friend. And it’s that same arrogance that will be responsible as our once great club drifts to Europa league regulars.
His teams drift in mediocrity in the States, and so will Arsenal under Kronke.
SMH, you have absolutely no clue about Kronke, but you will my friend.
@Durand – you could be right, im just having fun with the name that’s all. it’s jus that in parts of the uk fool, idiot and “nugget” are in colloquial terms the same thing. But on a more serious note im certainly not a kroenke flag waver either, no harm intended to our USA based gooners.
No offense taken waal, I did not know that about “nugget”. Haha, it actually is perfect fit for that losing team.
Still furious Kronke got his way. Hope that fat Russian slob gets kicked out of UK for what he did, even after saying he never would.
Now work must begin to get Kronke out.
removing kroenke in quicktime could have much the same effect as barking at flying bird or pi****g against the wind, it takes camaraderie and almighty fan campaign, as well as empty terraces at emirates; i doubt there’s the will and attrition for that but we’ll see.
Rebuilding process
There’s a rebuilding progress in effect and when you look around the training ground there’s a real buoyancy about the place that suggests emery and co have not simply come to make up numbers they’ve come here to achieve and by that i mean to compete for honours.
Looking to see how Emery can force his players to put extra effort in the field and in training
The first EPL match would tell us how the players implement Emery’s high pressing strategy
I’m just worried that the opponents have been familiar with our players’ tendencies in the field and would target specific players to crush Emery’s strategy
In other words Wenger had to go because he didn’t win the league.
But remember folks we are never going to win the league because in the present set up it is beyond us.
Wenger had to go because he took us backwards.He wasn’t even capable of keeping us in fifth place last season so how could he even begin to believe he was doing his job.We ARE a big Club.We ARE capable of getting at least a top four finish this season.It was our pathetic away performances and results that cost us top 4 last season and that is down to Wenger.If we maintain our home form and improve on our Away performances then there is no reason we won’t get top 4.Emery has a lot to prove and he at least has addressed the defence.Would Wenger have bought Torreira?I very much doubt it and yet we have been desperate for a CDM for over a decade.
Emery will be judged on the season as a whole so even though we start with Citeh and the Chavs he knows the primary aim is to stop the rot Wenger had allowed to set in and improve the performances over the next 2-3 years.I believe we will at least see a more structured defensive attitude in games and a more determined team aiming to defend from front to back.Our attacking options are up there with anyone’s so it’s the defensive attitude from the whole team that will be looked at more than anything
?
and you think Wenger’s failures have nothing to do with the current setup? Squads quality is all over the place
The squad does have quality.Wenger Just was not able to get the performances out of the team when it was needed.This is proven by the downward slide he allowed to happen.
Arsenal do well, Kroenke’s stock rises. If we slump do does his stock. Think about it, why would he want his investment to fail?
I think we should give him a chance to show if he has ambition or not.
Our future enemy will be from within. Kroenke is more of an obstacle to rebuilding and achieving trophies than an asset. As a full owner he will only be worse. Kroenke is not only money obsessed owner but he is a nasty person. A bad combination. Btw just noticed Kroenke’s LA Rams lost 7-33 yesterday lol
I’m thinking that for the future are only chance is getting top talent young and cheap. Which is very difficult. I hoping Nketiah, Nelson, Guendouzi, Bielik, Leno, Chambers, Holding, Niles, Rowe will become good enough to start in the future.
I’m thinking if Emery is not good at finding young future talent than that should be a prerequisite for the next manager we get as well as better scouts because even if we have the next Mbappe and sell him for £100 mil I’m not convinced Kroenke would use it to get top players as a sole owner.
Innit, just remember under the new Arsenal structure Unai Emery’s job is to coach the players that Sven Mislattat identifies and Raul signs to contracts.
Have been watching Fulham vs Palace
Seri is looking unpredictable with his skills, but unfortunately Fulham do not have good wingers. Sessegnon still needs to learn a lot, but Chambers is also looking good
Zaha is a strong and very mobile winger. Too bad Arsenal did not chase Seri and Zaha, because unfortunately they had to offload their fringe players first
I think Zaha and Seri would have helped US and wouldn’t have cost too much.
Granted Zaha is no Alexis and Seri is no Cazorla. They aren’t the best out there but I reckon they are better than we got. I also think Seri and Torreira would have been a good combination. Zaha is better than Welbeck, Iwobi, Campbell.
Seri cost Fulham £30 million, and Crystal Palace were talking about at least £70 million for Zaha, so selling our fringe players wouldn’t have got anywhere near the combined price.
..could be that we see Zaha arrive in 3 or4 months he took his goal well today and yes he’s good. I read he’s a gooner too… january we’ll see.
nothing is beyond us, football isn’t played on paper. strength for strength, only city and Liverpool really has better players than us. we are almost as good as others even better over 15teams of EPL. response of our players to new management tactics will Mar or made our season. great article
…is there a justarsenal fantasy league this season?