I’m often called negative so yet again will give Arsenal the chance to prove me wrong.
If we sign Jesus and Gnabry this window I will be delighted and will say the Kroenke Family have shown ambition.
Yet anyone who follows the Gunners transfer policy over the years knows how things normally turn out.
We negotiate with a target all summer haggling over the odd few million.
Enough time for Adidas shirts to be sold because customers listen to the rumours.
As we are indecisive, the moment a Chelsea or Liverpool are linked with a player, the very next day a deal is confirmed.
When we miss out on our first-choice targets because another team is willing to pay the asking price, we have zero plan B.
We start the season not prepared and spend the last few hours of August panic buying.
This isn’t okay.
Edu gets paid a lot of money to recruit and improve our squad.
He’s known since January that Balogun would be our only striker under contract come June.
That’s months for him and Arteta to make a shortlist.
That’s their job.
Make zero mistake, neither hesitated when it came to their own pay rise.
Why I so want to be proven wrong is that I truly think Jesus and Gnabry would be perfect for us.
Both meet the profile of player we should be investing in.
In 2022, we don’t have one single world class player at the club.
That’s how far we have regressed.
While the club made a conscious decision to build around youth, calling 5th progress, and hoping we might develop a star, wasn’t what we were promised when we left Highbury.
So, if our owners are serious about us returning to being title contenders (January proves they are not) then they should recognise that the likes of Saka and Smith Rowe now need help.
The current version of us can’t compete for the very best, but we can be creative.
Jesus and Gnabry are not world class but are still at an age where they could be.
Jesus hasn’t looked out of place at the Etihad but how would he react if he were suddenly the main man, every week?
Both would instantly make our first 11 better and they seem captures that are realistic.
Arteta is thought of highly at Man City, Guardiola is his mentor and friend and not a character who would stand in a player’s way if they truly wanted to move.
In other words, the Champions are open to selling and 40-50 million is reasonable.
In Germany, we know Gnabry has told Bayern he doesn’t want to extend his contract and he’s on a salary we can match.
For 100 million you can get both.
A chance to live in London, to be the face of a famous club with a huge fan base and a proud history …. you can make Arsenal an exciting proposition.
The danger of waiting too long is other suitors could come along.
That could be happening already with Chelsea and Real Madrid sniffing around Jesus.
Two clubs who can offer perks that we can’t.
So come on Arsenal, prove me wrong….
Dan Smith
Learn more about Arsenal’s proud history – Decade by Decade CLICK HERE to visit our new Arsenal History section
WATCH THE TRANSFER SHOW – HOW WILL JESUS AND TIELEMANS FIT INTO THE ARSENAL TEAM?