Many Gooners are concerned that in Andrea Berta’s bid to improve Arsenal’s attack this summer, he somehow managed to leave Mikel Arteta with fewer attacking options than he had last season.
It’s only fair, though, that we give a balanced account of the topic and explore why the Gunners have gone in this direction.
Maybe the Kroenke family genuinely did agree to change the wage structure for Vinicius Jr; maybe they believed they could convince Alvarez to leave Spain, and maybe they truly felt that Rodgers and Barcola were overpriced.
That doesn’t explain why Trossard, Jesus and Martinelli were sold while Nwaneri was loaned, with only one incoming.
You can’t, on one hand, whisper to journalists you’re prepared to break transfer and salary records for an LM and then, with a straight face, pretend it’s a position that doesn’t need improving.
Could January Be the Plan?
The next possible month clubs can buy and sell is January.
That means our manager only has four months to make do with fewer offensive weapons than last campaign. When you word it like that, our fanbase might be more comforted?
That doesn’t guarantee money will be spent in the New Year because the winter is harder than the summer to attract the very best away from their clubs.
Regardless, expect it to be leaked to the media how much cash is in the piggy jar for the start of 2027 for PR reasons. Especially if the team isn’t winning.
The same YouTubers will then upload breaking news which, in fact, isn’t breaking news; it’s just them reporting a rumour you could have read yourself.
If, though, powder was being kept dry for someone not currently available but who will be after Xmas, suddenly recent choices would make sense in hindsight.
Could Arsenal Return for Previous Targets?
Junior Kroupi and Rodrygo are both currently injured but have been linked with moves to North London in the past.
Bournemouth are adamant they don’t want to sell, but would their stance change if they nearly had 40 points by the end of 2026?
Real Madrid, meanwhile, will struggle to guarantee the Brazilian starts on the left once he is fit. A loan to the English capital could even be part of his recovery.
Then there is the ongoing game of bluff regarding Atletico Madrid and Alvarez.
Will the Spaniards still not be prepared to negotiate with Barcelona?
Will the striker still maintain that’s the only place he wants to play?
Or do the Premiership winners spend from now till January sorting out all tax/visa issues so the Argentine feels comfortable that he and his whole family can move back to the UK?
January Could Tell Us Plenty About Arsenal’s Ambition
How the Premiership table looks at this point might determine how much pressure our recruitment team will be under to help the squad.
Saying that, this was the case a couple of years ago, and excuses were made why not to spend.
Our Director of Football has credit in the bank due to his body of work, but his popularity may have taken a knock this week.
What he does, or doesn’t do, in January will tell us a lot about our ambition.
Dan Smith
Have Your Say
Do you think Arsenal deliberately kept their powder dry this summer with a view to making a major attacking move in January?
Could the club’s recent transfer decisions make more sense if a particular target becomes available in the New Year, or have Arsenal simply taken an unnecessary gamble with their attacking options?
Let us know what you think in the comments.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…
A loan for Rodrygo is a possibility. Or a purchase of Mitoma for depth perhaps.
Kroupi is not coming in January, neither is Alvarez.
Anyone else?
I don’t see why we can’t get both Kroupi and Rodrygo. .Bournemouth can put up a fight but they have sold key players to bigger clubs in January before. That for me would pretty much complete the squad. If we could bring those two in.
I’m not sure Arsenal wanted Vini Junior with the wages he is paid.
It was a good story the press could write about over time, and use to critize Arsenal when it doesn’t happen.
For me when I learned that the Kronkes had paid $4 billion for a new baseball team,then there’s probably the real reason they thought some of the transfer targets were too expensive.
Maybe come January Junior Kroupi will be the new man up top,well fingers crossed.
I believe Arsenal will only buy a marquee player in January if the top player is available in the winter, otherwise they might just loan an attacker
Kroenke just bought LA Angels for $4bn, so he needs to be frugal at buying new players for Arsenal
I’m no financial expert GAI but would $4b going out automatically affect the business model at Arsenal?
Pretty sure they used debt to buy that nit cash. These clubs and sports teams are well.managed financially so I don’t think any issues about buying players
I believe so, otherwise Kroenke would’ve bought Rogers or Barcola
No it wouldn’t make any difference.
Arsenal and the Angels are separate business entities, run under different jurisdictions. Finances for individual companies are completely separate from holding company ownership stakes.
Source: I know
my only counter point to that is if we are one of many in a portfolio are we ever the priority?
So would some owners this week have said you need to bring in an attacker ?
KSE, like most holding companies, devolve day-to-day management-level decisions (like player purchasing and selling) to their company management teams. They’re focused on finances.
Some owners get heavily personally involved, like Marinakis, but KSE rarely – only on huge transactions does Josh pop up visibly.
In Arsenal’s case we’re worth around $5B, making us KSE’s second biggest property, and a profit making club with both short and long term growth potential. That makes us a massive asset for KSE, as it helps them get financing for expansion, through acquisitions like the Angels (they’re not paying all cash out of one big vault that includes Arsenal’s money, in other words). So they really do have a vested interest in keeping us successful. If you consider that they signed off on funds this season for big purchases, and were willing to back a purchase of Vini Jr, our success is clearly a priority for them.
* correction – we almost broke even last financial year, after many loss making years. But revenue is massive, and growing, which effectively translates to growth opportunities elsewhere for a holding company when it comes to expansion opportunities. Risk is mitigated, in other words. P/L is not the only factor.
Nothing at all to do with Arsenal?
If it had nothing to do with Arsenal’s transfer budget, Kroenke would’ve likely have bought Rogers or Barcola
Nothing at all to do with Arsenal. Arsenals finances are Arsenals. Each company within a group runs theown ship. No bearing on Rogers and Barcola. Arsenal thought they were too expensive for their abilities. We were going to spend a lot more than that on Vjr and Alvarez. But they stayed at their respective clubs.
Not many big players become available in January
Auba
The last great striker we’ve had at the club
DK, that was because he was becoming disruptive at BVB.
City did good business last January
Exactly, Semenyo probably the best winger in the league and bought for a great price ,worth double that .
which in hindsight we should have got if we knew we were selling Trossard and Martinelli
If the plan is to buy in the January transfer window, and said player is a big name player does anyone really think that said club would be willing to part with one of their star players mid-season. Especially teams that are still heavily involved in competitions.
Arsenal will probably have to wait until the summer should they go down the big name player route. They might be able to buy a bargain in the Tzolis price range, but a big name signing I think not.
No Arsenal made a big error in not keeping Martinelli, or at least signing another left-sided player. And yet when Arteta was asked if the boxes were all ticked regards the transfer window he said yes.
That has to be a lie, if there was any truth in the earlier part of the window of Arsenal’s interest in Vinicius Junior and Alvarez.
How can that possibly mean that all the boxes were ticked, having failed to get on of these players.
I would have a bit more respect for Arteta, if he had been honest and said that he would have liked at least one more player in. Instead all we got was his usual I love my players, bring me the sick bucket please. 🤦♂️
To be fair, Arteta has also said many times that he wants another forward… he’s just putting a brave face on it, he has to infuse confidence in his players. I bet it’s a very different story behind the scenes.
Arsenal, like every other team, would have tried to get all their transfer business done in the summer transfer window – if they could gave got the players they wanted for the price they were willing to pay.
It seems that, since they weren’t able to do that, they will now need to go again in January to cover the ‘exposed’ areas.
It’s probably not how they ‘planned’ it – that’s just the way it is.
Personally, I think going back in for Alvarez will be a waste of time and energy.
He has his chance to leave A M when he knew he couldn’t get to Barca – he turned it down.
I don’t see the NOT so special one allowing any
R M player to come to Arsenal, even on a Loan – He Hates Arsenal.
M A and A B won’t stand still in January, additions will be brought in.
It’ll be an interesting Transfer Window in January
We are where we are, and it’s now up to Arteta to justify the substantial transfer fees paid for Eze and Madueke, by getting more from these players than he did last season.In the case of Eze, he needs to knuckle down and show real effort off the ball .As for Madueke, surely it’s not beyond our Coaches to improve his composure in and around the box by one on one training sessions.Do I think they will measure up this season? In the case of Eze, perhaps, in the case of Madueke, unfortunately no.As for the current transfer window I think Newcastle have spent well, but the injury to Kroupie has , i suspect, derailed our plans to bring in a terrific young player who would represent far better value for money than the silly money which would have been involved in recruiting the likes of VJnr and the over-rated Alvarez..If we top the League prior to the January window, i doubt if we will spend big at that time, but if we are lagging behind , we may be obliged to take the plunge.
There’s is no transfer gamble. It’s just lot of hot air.
We’ve had brilliant windows for several years running now, is the truth.
That it MUST be one out one in, that’s a flimsy argument put about by people who don’t know Arsenals squad depth, and how to use it.
It’s very old fashioned to think 5 out 1 in has left us short of options. The people pushing that ratio last weekend have already embarrassed themselves – Inward stepping Eze in partnership with wing backing Ricky is an option that was never even being counted in the lazy “one out one in” mindset. admit it – even though many of us have inverted Eze with rampaging Ricky as potentially better than Tzolis, Trossard or Martinelli left forward, you couldn’t even imagine it – it has a double teaming opposing full back about it that properly turned the tables on Matty Cash.
Admit it, that you didn’t even imagine with your lack of vision thing, that inverted Eze could be inverted Kai with rampaging Ricky, or inverted Merino with Rampaging Ricky. Left Inverted Kai or left inverted Merino, with Ricky rampaging on the outside – Kai or Merino in exactly the part of the pitch where they could cause absolute damage, with Ricky supplying width outside them – does that not sound like a seriously cool option?
Secondly – anyone saying we are light somewhere, were you also saying there was no back up for Saka, and Nanweri burst out of nowhere with a brilliant run. Skelly too, did you say we were short at left back, and didn’t realise Skelly was about to bust from nowhere play a brilliant season and hey called up for England?
It could be an embarrassing mistake saying Arteta doesn’t know what he’s doing on transfers, when it’s a committee that decides, MA having a say, Berta and his spotters and evaluators and technicians, and Garlick could trump all of them not signing the cheque.
It’s also very rude to say the management don’t know what they are doing, are you 100% sure a left forward Skelly or Nanweri won’t burst on the scene in coming weeks? You can’t be sure they won’t, becuase the way football works now is every Prem side is banking on the academy, into which huge sums of the clubs money is spent, helping first team out this season. Ditto – how are you so sure using inverted Eze with wing backing Full back wasn’t one of a host of plans and cool idea’s to maximise deep and talented squad, long before Trossard and Martinelli were moved on? You can’t be sure that wasn’t the plan.
With a big squad and academy, it doesn’t have to be “one person” being left forward back up to Tzolis. it could be bits of the squad filling in based on each particular project that week. It could even be Tzolis came in as back up to stronger plans.
Options for left forward.
Top option, inverted Eze with rampaging Ricky,
Next best option, inverted Havertz with rampaging Ricky
Next best option, Merino inverted with Rampaging Ricky.
Next best option, Skelly inverted with Rampaging Ricky.
Next best option, Tzolis.
Next best option, Noni.
Next best option Key-Dac.
Light for options on the left? I’ve got Tzolis 5th!
Number 9.
Best option Havertz
Next best option, Gyokeres
Next best option Eze false 9
Next best option, Merino
If you want a 5th, remember Man City only have one number 9. What’s their back up plan?
I am now considering this boring “we’ve been left short in attack and left forward with Trossard, Nelli and Jesus gone and not replaced” utter nonsense and quite over. Because I have just killed it off.
In theory you have narrated an interesting story. Let’s see how injuries and productivity play into your narrative over the season. I hope things turn out as you say, but I’m older and more cynical when reality is involved, se let’s wait and see.
Selling Martinelli, Jesus and Trossard gives us weaker options on the bench especially LW
Martinelli and Trossard played on the left
I understand selling Jesus because we have Gyokeres and Havertz. But we should have kept at least 1 of Martinelli or Trossard
The problem with getting a player in January is higher transfer fee and minimal options
Also sometimes it takes a few months to adapt, which is why we should have bought another winger in summer
Anyway let’s hope the likes of Tzolis, Madueke, Eze, Merino step up
The main thing I’m saying is, we don’t have to stick to the old plan every game week, just one wide left forward up against their fall back – it’s only right we look to change it up this season to find an advantage as sides suss out what we keep doing.
Eze, Havertz and Merino are very talented attacking midfielders – and Ricky and Hinky top drawer qualities as raiding full backs – we have the players to make the new approach work brilliantly, as 5 players whose game is natural fit for it. on paper Eze or Kai or Merino are left forward, but they are inverting infield and the full backs provide width. The inverters are inverting into that particular zone area of the pitch most perfectly natural to the three of them. There’s also a double teaming element, poor old Matty cash cannot stop both on his own, and sure enough, Eze fed Ricky, Ricky crossed, Saka scored.
Throw in Skells – who I am 100% sure can do the left invert AND provide width from full backs, he can play both roles, and it’s 4 players who can play the invert, and 3 who can the wing back – so come the January window we have to sell Tzolis, as we now have far too many left forward options.
The whole point of quality squad depth is it doesn’t just sit there waiting for an injury, you get it into the team by trying different ploys and set ups here and there. Putting Eze, Havertz, Merino into inverted left and allowing Ricky to rampage into the space that creates, puts all six players into the area’s of the pitch they are at their most effective in attacking play.
And that’s just one ploy. There’s others. When people write the equation is clear, we are down on attacking numbers so attack is weaker, do you have Dowman in the equation? Do you have players with zero minutes doing a Nanweri, coming into the attack, playing 15 games and getting 4 or 5 goals and couple of assists in these equations too? They are definitely in the equation as we have seen it happen every year. If a couple from the academy step up this winter it’s not a bonus, It’s supposed to happen like that, 18, 19 year olds seizing a chance, hence the costs of the academy.
Arsenal participate in 4 tournaments, which require a lot of players. Not if the injuries come, but when they come, Arsenal may have a problem covering positions in the attack, as EFFECTIVE backup options are limited. I am very concerned that Arsenal did not get at least one more attacking player in this transfer window. The reality may be harsher than predicted.
You seen the squad depth graph for prem clubs Sky Sports been using in recent months? It’s good they are showing, as some clubs are first 11 loaded, and the graph flags up that risk the clubs carrying.
But ignore it. It doesn’t work. It’s naff. It doesn’t take into account inverting.
skys squad depth for Arsenal has Tzolis, with questions marks over Eze and Noni. But football doesn’t work like that – you can t maintain advantage through a season with same formation, same instructions to the players, you need to be evolving.
Do a squad depth by position for Arsenal that includes inverting, and Tzolis is our fifth best option. Eze third option at 9, by making it false – don’t play to me, play through me.
but we had more options last season by your own logic ?
and the irony is you accuse others of saying Arteta doesn’t know what he’s doing but your saying so far he’s been playing with our 5th best option ?
Yes.
so therefore you admit we had more options last season ?
That we’re planning for January already isn’t surprising. The BBC reports that following our Premier League win last season, we had a short list (if you can call it that)of 20 players to choose from to improve the squad. They also disclosed that Berta relied on intermediaries for recruiting lower-profile players, which has cost us a few times.
I just read that article too Jax. It’s really interesting, I recommend everyone here reads it. It’s written by Sami Mokbel, who has some of the best insights into Arsenal of any journo.
The biggest insight for me wasn’t the shortlist -we knew most of that already, and some were not actually targets before the window, they were added during, which leads to the bigger insight:
Berta using intermediaries and his own network to find deals, rather than putting stock in Arsenal’s own scouting network. People may react to that but it’s probably not the wrong thing to do right now. It got us Guimaraes, Konsa, Tzolis, Gyokeres, . It definitely may have advantages for obtaining top tier established talent, which is the ambition level, but seems to be leaving a lot on the table when it comes to “undiscovered” young talent. Maybe a chicken and egg issue, since our level when it comes to players is higher these days than it was 5 years ago. In Edu’s day, there was less money to spend, and what top talent we could afford was often obtained through Arteta’s relationships. Edu then addressed the rest by building a network of scouts in places like Brazil and on the continent, and got us players like Gabriel, though realistically, much of the young talent his scouts brought in after Francis Cagigao left didn’t actually work out. Nowadays, we’re in a different position, and the acquisition ambition level is obviously higher, so the Berta approach is understandable, and maybe even better. We really miss a head of scouting as good as Cagigao, though, or a scout as good as Ty Gooden (now working for Monaco).
Another insight that was interesting was about this window, one which we basically knew too, but is worth reiterating. That’s that once the club has made a valuation of a player, it sticks to it. So when Villa raised their own valuation of Rogers – our number one attacking target – from 100m to 120m after City bought Anderson, there was NO WAY the club would stay in the race. That set off a chain of attempts to get other top forwards. So all in all – we were basically screwed by the market, more than anything else.
bergkampfwagen
Yes, definitely recommended reading.
Bring in Kroupi in Jan if possible.
I think he’s going to be a star.
I know y’all have pages to fill every day but no-one who is serious is panicking. We have more than enough to win any competition we’re in, that’s why we won the league, got to the CL and League Cup Finals last year.
The team is stronger more experienced and hopefully fitter this season. We’re better off not having splashed stupid money on Alvarez who’s not that good and not keen on playing in England. If we could get Kroupi in January I’m up for it but we’re in a good place.