I’m sure we are all aware that Jack Wilshere has been training with the club, and the Arsenal favourite could join the club after the 11PM deadline without issue, but he is not alone.
We are into the final hour of today’s Deadline Day, and it is looking ominously likely that we will not be bringing in any additions, despite at least four senior departures reducing our squad numbers.
Despite our efforts to sign Dusan Vlahovic, it is unclear just how seriously our club did try to bolster the playing squad, but what makes it overly frustrating is that the likes of Liverpool, Spurs, Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle all signed players which could have improved our squad.
While it is devastating to believe that with our best chance of earning a top four finish in years, we didn’t grasp any of the opportunities which arose this month, while even more frustratingly, we allowed the likes of Calum Chambers, Sead Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles and Folarin Balogun to leave, as well as expecting an announcement on Aubameyang’s departure imminently.
January was bad enough on the pitch, and the window has made it feel so much worse, but we could still add to our squad by landing a free agent.
Wilshere is one I would definitely be signing, assuming that his situation means that he would accept a realistic wage and a sufficient appearance fee.
Another former Gunner is also available in Yaya Sanogo, but at 29 years-old, there is a reason why he is yet to find a new club to play for.
Diego Costa at 34 years-old is without a club also however, having just played out his deal with Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro, and while I’m not convinced that he could find the form of his Chelsea days, he has fight in him that could well give us an edge in certain fixtures.
While I’d love to see Wilshere back at the club, I can only assume that Mikel Arteta believes that his younger squad players who have been filling our bench in recent weeks deserve their chance ahead of those who we could have signed during January, but as we’ve seen on too many occasions, it isn’t easy to hit the ground running when breaking into the senior side.
Patrick
I dont see any of this article happening and i dont understand why these names are mentioned. We are not desperate!!!!!!!!
We are good as we are.Eddie grab the chance! Come On You Gunners
Sorry, but we have no chance of making the top four. Just not possible. We are just going to play out the season and maybe get into the Europa Cup if we are lucky. I am shocked at how poor this window has been and it is clear nobody wants to play for Arteta. Farcical.
Nobody wants to play for Arsenal, Sean, not just Arteta.. You see how few players want to move AT ALL in January, and I don’t blame them. More choice, more money in Summer. And clubs only want to sell their own deadwood mid season for similar reasons! Unless he’s end of contract what manager wants to lose his best players now with such a small window to replace them?
Would like to rephrase your opening sentence as “no present/future deadwood wants to play for Arsenal, not just Arteta” See what happens when you mess with the boss off the pitch and have a poor show on the pitch. The overpaid fella lost approx 9M Euros by thinking he outsmarted the boss. This is a clear warning to all future prima donnas. All of Mikel’s signings have been rated 8+ while the low cost low risk signings (and that too signed before he became manager and had a say in the transfers) are gone with very little financial impact. Those gone denting our finances were signed by Swen/Raul and the “greatest great” one. Mikel is a quiet no nonsense chap who does not go bragging to the press with those smirks on his face trying to deceive gullible fans.
You are so certain we can’t make top four?
Come and pull us down forcefully when we do.
Wilshere should Arsenal,he can help from the bench. I am happy that Aubameyang has left, he was collecting huge salary for nothing,he was not good at all.Pls Arteta sign my son for under 18, he so much love Arsenal ,a die heart of the club. My son name is Lohkur
It’s not over till its over or until the short bald man burps. But it’s past 11 pm GMT so is the window closed yet?
Yes. Aubameyang has left permanently for Barcelona on a FREE!!!
I don’t know if it’s good news or bad news.
According to FF it’s never a free
Not even a loan signing! Awful window. Sat in front of sky sports news all day for this rubbish. Lacazette and Nketiah to lead Arsenal into the champions League 🤦♂️
Just think Kev – we can’t even argue about team selections now. If you’re fit, you play!
Haha yeah Guy no complaints the team pretty much picks itself now with an extremely inexperienced bench.. let’s see what the matador can do now 🐂
Is the cow the best you could do!?😊
Kev, some nitwit you have us believe Auba going for free is a good business. No it is not. We paid £55m for him 4 season ago in similar situation. Dormund fans were rejoicing got him of their wage but rejoicing for getting good money for a player who didn’t want play for them anymore. We gave all the players that are gone away for free and even paying part of the wages of those that are loaned out. The level of our management incompetence is through the roof. How Stan allows is asset to be depleted season by season is baffling.
How many quality players we can get with the so called safe salaries.
Adiva not only that but those loan signings will have to come back in July so we’ll probably have to cancel some more contracts come the summer 😂 and no doubt come the summer it will take the matador and edu until the August deadline day to find a striker 🤦♂️
Kev, Mikel is not the author of this book of mess. Swen/Raul and the “greatest” one are. Mikel is doing effective housekeeping but clearing out the mess left by the earlier regimes. I’m super excited and cannot wait for the next transfer window to open and we hire real players. Can’t wait to get my Arsenal back. Gracias Mikel for the clear out. Lat time we said “Merci A…..” to move away from the club!
@Adiva there is no nitwit here. Arsenal saved 25 million from his wage. According to skys sports, he even took a pay cut . Would you have been happy to see another Ozil situation, ricking 350 I a week doing nothing? Whether he plays or not he gets paid ridiculously. Is that what you wished for mr wise man?
Did Dortmund not save money from his wages when collected £55m from us. Why are always happy to defend the indefensible. Why are things has to be different when arsenal is the subject. We could have sold him for some money when we extended his contract. We could have learned from Ozil’s situation but we didn’t and I doubt if we are not going to be in the similar situation with Arteta’s handling of Leno and maybe Pepe
Could maybe try Pepe up top
Last time I checked, no club in SriLanka, India or Bangladesh were interested in Pepe. So he goes the similar way out too, be prepared.
I’d suggest that being 4 years younger at the time he was a player in his prime
Saving 25M?let me tell you that in any other business, giving away an asset you bought for 60M 4 years earlier for nothing,would get the sack for sure.imagine buying shares worth 60M and 4 years later they are worth nothing or more precisely you give them away for free,I won’t talk about the staff turn over
Not even getting players on loan to see out the second half of the season, Arsenal will suffer for their poor decisions. If they finish in top 6, that’s a trophy.
Top 6 is even looking like a mountain to climb with the lightweight squad we have and rookie manager I think we’ll finish 8th/9th in around there mobyss
Stop crying! We have done the business we wanted and needed. Just support the team okay.
Yeah we’ve done the business we needed that’s why they were inquiring about players on deadline day 😂 another one of Arteta’s cult followers
JUST SUPPORT THE TEAM!
No matter the decision taken by the management, even decisions shouted by the fans to be taken, people keep complaining. Fans cannot be pleased enough – that’s a fact.
Has to be good Sb – we lose all his wages so we bank £25m and lose a player who at best will warm the bench for 18 months.
We talk like that 25 million is save right away. It’s over 18 months. What will that money be used for. My guess to go in kroenkes pocket.
@Kori
Are you implying Kroenke is taking money from the clubs coffers? That’s odd coz I’ve not seen the club pay out any dividends to the Kroenkes.
Aubs cost 60m in transfer fee in Jan 2018.
37 mill in salary
Total 97mill.
Dortmund got 60m.
How much did we get for his leaving?
Apparently zero.
But we got the better deal.
Right? 🙂 🙂 🙂
You can’t have your cake and eat it. Otherwise you lose everything. Is that you want?
At Dortmunt, Auba was on comparatively lower wages I believe. That’s why we bought him high, in view of the competition then for his signature. But now he’s on high wages and only very few will be willing to pay that, let alone buying him high also. That is not too difficult to understand – or is it?
The deal with Barca is worth around £15 million in saved wages, so not too bad for us.
As I wrote above Auba was worth a high fee when he arrived at the peak of his career. Whoever negotiated his last contract needed their head examining.
Wait and see who leaves in the summer FOR FREE – AL, EN, ME, and when BS and ESR are poached and WS goes to Real Madrid, and the kids start to leave, the fan base reduces, where will the hope come from? The project?
The project is just to fob fans off and take the pressure off the club they have no ambitions whatsoever the Kroenkes only care about that rams team we are just another one of his long list of sporting franchises.. we will never get back to the top as long as the Kroenkes own the club.
Soares left Liverpool for Barca, and the rest is history how they won all elite competitions after 30 years. If Mikel wants to transfer some prodigy for 100M and we can add 4 quality players wherever required and it helps us to be elite again then so be it. CR7 left RM, so did LM. They remain as elite clubs of Spain. BTW, how is Fenerbace doing? Good decision by Mikel to trim the excess fat!
so I guess what you’re saying AdPat, is that you enjoy kicking a man in the junk when he’s already been knocked to the ground…good to know
Where’d that come from? Did I miss a comment? Was that about Wilshere?
the very notion that after such a shockingly poor window, at least incoming-wise, AdPat would suggest the possibility of acquiring two footballing afterthoughts…thus kicking a man in the pills while he’s already down
Shocking window!!
I have no issue with letting players go that hardly play anyway, but to not get at least some replacements in, leaves us so short.
We’ve seen how badly we struggled in January with players out.
I get that we need to keep removing deadwood, and reduce wages to allow for new signings, but it’s a huge risk to leave us with a paper thin squad for the next 6 months.
Jonbo, how many more “deadwood” players do you want removed… remembering those players that MA selects no matter what will obviously not be classed as “deadwood” by the manager?
Yeah I keep forgetting you prefer the likes of Chambers, Bellerin, Mustafi, Ozil, Kolasinac, etc over what we have now, which is ridiculous.
I do agree however Arteta seems to fall out with players too often, which I am penning an article. I’ll be criticizing him, so through some Arsenal fans eyes on here, I’ll now be Arteta out! Haha!
Critical thinking out the window!
Giving away Auba for nothing is one of the dumbest thing this club have ever done. Worst than selling Rvp to man u. Auba could have been the game changer in atleast 5 of the games in the season run in. It could have been the difference of finishing 7 or 4th. Very poor by management. It will come back to haunt us. Take my word for it. Thumbs down to the baffoons in charge of arsenal
Yeah yeah, he has been a game changer all season, only in the negative. It’s better getting rid of that beautiful nonsense for good.
If we don’t get a striker, we are done!
So let’s have a realistic look at where we stand presently…best case scenario, Arteta’s moves, or lack thereof, instill a false sense of confidence in our shortened bench, as it appears as if he has the utmost faith in on our current roster to rise to the occasion and finish strong…of course, this could happen, albeit a longshot, unless we could somehow ensure that several of our pending opponents would struggle for form at the most advantageous of times and that we wouldn’t incur any significant injuries between now and season’s end, which seems highly unlikely considering that many within our present squad are rather injury-prone
more likely to happen:
(1) we will have to deal with several injury spells when our first choice options won’t be available and, depending on the position(s) in question, we will have to start some less than stellar alternatives
(2) there will be some very crucial games when we require a spark from the bench and we will have no one to turn to except someone with very little if any first team experience or someone who has hardly seen the pitch
(3) as a result of concerns related to #1 & 2, Arteta will get considerably more conservative with his tactical approach, in the hopes of eking out results, which won’t guarantee anything, as we’ve seen, and it certainly won’t help with our much-needed offensive developmental process
(4) we will continue to be inconsistent at times and drop points, thereby severely hampering both our chances of securing a spot in Europe and conducting a successful off-season recruitment campaign
(5) we will end up on the outside looking in, which will set back the supposed process for at least a full season, if not considerably more, as it will undoubtedly take multiple summer windows to get things right, and if things get delayed further we will face some serious concerns about our ability to keep some of our younger talented pieces, who were supposedly the very basis for the whole “rebuild”
right now we’re looking settled in a couple of positions but after that we need to orchestrate a lot of maneuvering if we really want to compete for things…even if we only acquired one high ceiling player, in a position of need, we could have used the remainder of the season to embed them and likewise increase our chances of getting into Europe
as of right now, I would suggest that the current plan is projecting “success” in 2023-24, so long as everything goes according to planned and no other frontrunners emerge in the meantime, as you simply can’t be a legitimate “rebuilding” team and only have outgoing players in any given window…that said, I just don’t have the requisite faith in this management team to allow them to have 2 more full seasons before ever placing any definitive expectations on their collective shoulders
Every cloud has a silver lining. Who knows best? We might just unearth the next ESR or Saka from within! Mikel is not so naïve or daft.
Exactly what some of our fans don’t understand. We spend a lot of money buying other clubs’ academy graduates, when we have our own for free. We don’t seem to value we have.
It is the same way a lot of people kept lambasting our manager after we played crystal palace (despite the terrible officiating and cheating), preferring to have Viera as manager instead of Arteta. Now looking at the league table, they have all gone mute until another convenient period. This is just too pathetic of our fans.
btw he didn’t “unearth” either of the players you mentioned…I know you didn’t say that specifically, but you were likely trying to make that inference as you’re unabashedly a card-carrying member of the Kool-Aid crew…I would say this though, I would be of a much different mindset if we had retained several of our younger players like Saliba, Mavro and Balo, then used this time to properly evaluate and/or integrate them, now that the fat had been trimmed
directed to LC, as I have nothing to offer in response to Gily’s mumbo jumbo
Now we can see why the board was not keen on hiring an experienced manager to replace Mikel “For Free” Arteta last season. Experienced managers will not sign on the dotted line without getting financial commitments from the board and owner. Just one dangle of the contract-extension carrot (before Arteta)
and here we are – looking back to Wilshire and Sanogo, instead of a single new signing. Now we know the reason for the recent US visit.
It’s now clear that Arsenal never planned to sign to buy players at all. Guimares was willing to come but we never bothered and so magpies took him without much ado. We would even tested David Jonathan but we didin”t. Instead we pretended to want to sign players who were overpriced and who were unwilling to come and play for us.
Why do I have to scroll through 1000 ads to access the comment section? Is it some kind of bug? Is everyone experiencing the same?
Quantric Dream same as you
Me too!this is doing my head in too!I understand the needs for ads but this is getting ridiculous ,the ads were strategically placed.
Me too! Annoying as hell.
@Admin,
wakey wakey!
I’m on it mate
I just counted to 50 before i gave up!
Techies will work it out…
You counted them?😂
… perhaps counting the income, in a manner.
Ahahahahaha!
When even the Admin is bored by the sheer number of ads, what else would I say?
That’s the story of our window, QD. We were linked to many players -almost 1000 – and ended up with very little…not a single player, to be exact.
It’s the Mikel “For Free” Arteta distraction bug. No need to worry; It’s rampant throughout the fanbase.
I couldn’t find the comments most of the time as the ads were never ending. What’s going on admins?
I’m on it mate
I just counted to 50 before i gave up!
Techies will work it out…
Pat, hope gotanifea not out this fanbase
Fixed for now…
I expected atleast some loan signing, maybe Jovic and Zakaria on loan. Since no one of sorts has been signed, Arteta is maybe planning to play the current midfield of Partey, Xhaka, ASL and Elneny for the rest of the season. As for the strikers, I think he plans to continue with Laca and Nketiah and rely on goals also from Martinelli, Saka and ESR and Odegard. Whatever be it, I hope the planning is done for suspensions and injuries and we have enough back up amongst our academy players.
We will just have to hope that Pepé and Martinelli step up to the mark.
It is no longer business as usual. Everyone has to step up, or receive a hard boot in the butt
Could t help thinking, ” What’s Jack Wiltshire got to do with anything at Arsenal these days.” His time has gone, he should have taken the offer from Australia, which might at least have given him and his family a fresh start. The fact that he is hanging around Arsenal’s training ground is kind of sad. Even within a depleted squad, he would bring nothing onto the pitch to address current weaknesses. Plaudits to those involved for allowing him to train, feel good about himself etc, but I hope no one is expecting a Rocky style resurgence.
I think some official at Espanyol already revealed Arsenal called for Raul de Tomas. That already reveals us how desperate Edu and the other stooges were.
BEING SOMEWHAT GOBSMACKED THAT OUR CLUB HAS CHOSEN NOT TO PROPERLY TRY FOR ANY SINGLE TOP CLASS PLAYER AT ALL, I must now revise my former hopes of a top four finish.
I now consider it a quite long shot , probably around ten to one against.
Any Covid or bad injury situation will make it impossible even though we have a mere seventeen games left. I am majorly disappointed, as I guess we all are.
For those who fondly fool themselves that Wilsher might yet play for us again and be “our saviour” at least in the lack of numbers we have left after all these loans, I have some frightening news.
There is not a cat in hells chance of that happening. I am certain that IF we have an injury crisis in midfield, MA will prefer an untried youngster to Wilshere.
That is also the right way to go,( given that we have stuipidly chosen not to bring in replacements for those who have gone) IF that unpleasant situation happens. And it MIGHT!