arsenal transfers

Dan’s transfer deadline day diary – Not much to celebrate

Dan’s Transfer Day!

8:00 am – I wake up full of optimism, fully expecting our second bid for Ollie Watkins today. After all, we wouldn’t have made an offer knowing it wouldn’t be accepted, would we?

Remember last week when some told us we had zero evidence this was a PR stunt, just a conspiracy theory with no foundation—us simpletons not understanding how negotiations work?

Aston Villa have just released a video welcoming Marcus Rashford. He’s being greeted by… Ollie Watkins! That can’t be good.

9:30 am – I send my brother YouTube footage of Sky Sports pundits talking post-match. This is a weekly tradition after Super Sunday.

Thierry Henry says he fears our 5-1 scoreline will make Gooners forget they still need a striker. To be fair, the Frenchman knows a lot about the position, what a winning squad needs, and Arsenal.

Don’t worry, Thierry, we’ve seen this movie before, we’ve read this book. The club wouldn’t dare manipulate us again. My peers would never fall for it, not this time!

Oh, great news… we are preparing new contracts for Skelley and Nwaneri!

10:15 am – Check Twitter, and Haaland’s dad’s been a bit cheeky. Essentially, he’s called us a team who don’t win anything next to a blue heart emoji.

To be fair, there was an owner watching events at the Emirates, not content with their league position, not accepting a drop in standards, and backing his manager with any support he needs. It’s not ours, though.

To make his point, Man City are linked heavily with González. The champions have already spent £125 million this month.

11:20 am – I watch AFTV’s Daily Transfer Update. Some in the comments feel sorry for Robbie, having to report links and rumours every day just to be disappointed. Others detail just how much money he’s earning by telling viewers what’s in a few newspapers.

He says his staff are working all day and are ready to update their audience the moment they have news. They’ll do this until Arsenal suggest business is done for the day…

Send them home, Robbie! Give them the day off!

12:35 pm – Put on Sky Sports News, which has reporters at various grounds, including the Emirates.

The latest update is that our recruitment team are working hard behind the scenes but don’t want a signing for the sake of it—only in the market for something special.

Where have I heard this before?

Where’s our second Ollie Watkins bid?

I thought our opening bid was a negotiation tactic.

13:05 pm – Sky Germany are reporting that Man United and Arsenal would be Tel’s first choice, but neither are open to a transfer—only a loan with zero obligation to buy.

Daniel Levy was in Germany last week, and Bayern Munich were happy with £50 million after the teenager asked to leave. The player doesn’t want a permanent move.

14:10 pm – U-turn! Tel is now flying to London.

He will go to Spurs on loan. Apparently, a phone call with Big Ange reassured the 19-year-old he could get minutes at the Lane.

It’s okay, though—we are getting Watkins, right? Maybe it was a conspiracy theory after all?

15:15 pm – Just checking my article has been uploaded.

Readers seem to have forgotten the chances we missed in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, with a couple saying they prefer Havertz to Haaland.

Apparently, unlike a Treble winner, the German plays for a winning team.

I’m also asked whether we need anyone, with Liverpool in our sights. Would new faces upset the rhythm of Sunday?

We don’t need an attacking player now because Nwaneri is a better dribbler and finisher than Saka. Whisper it quietly—maybe Starboy’s injury is a blessing in disguise?

Thierry Henry was spot on.

16:42 pm – A lot of sources are saying Jorginho has agreed to join Flamengo in the summer.

That would make the midfielder the second Gunner this month to have signed a pre-contract with another club.

Apparently, the priority yet again is slashing the wage bill.

17:00 pm – Best friend rings (he supports Liverpool). A massive day in the title race—Liverpool are six hours away from a huge step towards their second Premiership.

I turn a sand timer upside down. Every minute that counts down, our title dreams slip away.

Starting to get that feeling in my tummy.

Are the Kroenke family really going to let this moment pass us by? We may never be in this situation again. Surely no one can defend them if they don’t do anything?

18:15 pm – Finally, some BREAKING NEWS!

It also comes from Arsenal’s own website, so you can’t get a more reliable source.

Maldini Kacurri has joined Bromley on loan.

Brian Okonkwo has done the same, his destination—Hitchin.

I would laugh if it wasn’t so sad.

19:45 pm

Sky Sports News’ Gary Cotterill at the Emirates:

“I’m told, and it is my understanding, that there will be no ins and no outs today at Arsenal and indeed in the whole of January.

“No business, we understand, at Arsenal.”

20:00 pm – AFTV: “Was the answer to bring back Vieira and Reiss Nelson?”

People wonder why I say we won’t win the title under this ownership.

My mate cheers me up with a post from Burnley’s social media.

They announce their new signing using a clip from Friends“Did he get off the plane?”

I laugh… then cry.

I wish Arsenal could do this.

Ollie Watkins: “I got off the plane.”

21:00 pm – With two hours to go, our season is on life support.

We are dying, and our billionaire owners have all the resources to help us.

They just won’t.

If anyone dares defend this… (which they will).

22:30 pm – Just for clarification.

At Christmas, with the UK in a cost-of-living crisis—the month where the little savings families had were reserved for Christmas—Arsenal released merchandise. A varsity jacket for £160. Sold out on the website.

Yet our billionaire owners won’t pay over the odds to help our squad challenge for the title.

Tells you everything.

23:00 pm – Liverpool are now huge favourites for the title.

Man City will be back in contention next season.

The moment has passed us by.

Tell me again that the Kroenkes have done well?

Some Gooners won’t understand the significance of today. They will, though, when we get knocked out of the Champions League and title race due to not having a natural goalscorer.

Any fan just wants to see their team try to be the best they can be.

We have not done that.

Can’t wait to hear Arteta defend this.

Funny how he was able to negotiate becoming the second-highest-paid manager in the world, isn’t it?

Didn’t care about the finances then, did he?

Dan Smith
Tags deadline day

16 Comments

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  1. When I know we ain’t getting any player in this window was when arteta was asked on a press conference if arsenal need to buy a striker and his response was embarrassing infact he would have attacked the journalist if giving the opportunity.

  2. Dan,

    I enjoyed reading your piece. And I have to say that I find myself in total agreement with you.

    I’m afraid its been a case of history repeating itself again.

    Yes we had a brilliant win over Manchester City at the weekend. And yes people can say that we’re second top scorers, but I’m afraid that in the tight games where you might only get one or two chances, you need that striker who will get you the goal with there sharp finishing.

    Sadly, when that happens in a game, the last player you want the chance to drop to is a certain Kia Havertz.

    Three seasons without a out and out striker and counting. 🙄🤦‍♂️

  3. I read that Arsenal made £40 million bid at the beginning of the week but Villa came back willing to accept £60 million which we thought was far too much for a 29 year old. I think the media turned it into a drawn out drama when in fact we made a bid, it was turned down and we walked away, end of story. Whilst I’m sure we will go big in the summer with three major signings making us much stronger for next season, it of course doesn’t help us this season.

  4. Hold your breath and hope we don’t get any injuries to our attacking players. Good news is LB is covered by 4 or 5 people; MLS, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, and Timber if necessary.

    Striker you ask? Well, Trossard and then possibly Sterling, possibly a 17-18 year old Nwanarei can lead the line.

    We don’t need a clinical finisher, we have guys who run a lot for the team, it’s basically the same thing, no worries.

  5. I don’t think Arsenal would have entered the transfer market in January at all had Jesus not got a season ending injury mid month. Not because they were complacent, but because the club had targeted the summer instead imo.

    Durán going to Saudi kiboshed any chance that Watkins would come and possibly the price was considered to be money poorly spent bearing in mind his age and actual scoring record. I’m guessing.

    What we are left with is Havertz and other team members having to be the goal scorers until the end of the season.

    I do believe that the club were trying to get the right fit and I never felt the Watkins pitch was a stunt. From listening to Arteta today there was genuine disappointment in his voice and a reiteration that only a player that was better than what was at the club already would have been signed.

    It was a risk that would have been discussed between Arteta and the Board and the outcome is now what it is. The problem of not having another dedicated striker existed before January but unless the target player could be signed, my view that throwing money at a panic buy wasn’t the answer either. Perhaps one of the academy lads could step up. Water under the bridge until the free scoring knight in shining armour arrives at the Emirates next season. We will all be praying that the injury crisis is over and Saka comes back firing in March – that’s all we can do.

    1. It was a stunt
      They made an offer they knew would be rejected
      Some said it was us being negative , a conspiracy theory , a negotiation tactic
      Short term the odd results will make peeps forget
      But when are knocked out of title race and CL because Havertz misses a sitter or injuries or lack of options I dont want to hear wait till summer
      This was it . Man City, Chelsea and Man United will never all be this bad again
      This time next year we will look back at this and have regrets

  6. Liverpool would be strong favourites to win the League whether or not we managed to sign Watkins or the likes of Sesko who I understand is our number one target and could well be landed in the Summer window.On a brighter note,at least we did not make any bad buys this winter.I only hope Havertz stays injury free for the rest of the season.

  7. From a PL title perspective it may make sense not to spend now because title is now for Liverpool’s lose & for that their form needs to collapse dramatically.
    However I thought in CL this year is a right time to make a serious attempt as lot of top teams are not doing that great. But Arsenal doesn’t have team to compete in Europe. We latch 2-3 attacking players, at least two even if Saka is fit.

  8. We bid 45 mils for Watkins because we could still then get the first-choice targets we want in the coming summer by selling a couple of players to recoup that money Even if we didn’t recoup it, it doesn’t eat up too much of the budget

    Watkins is not even in my top 3 or 4 I would not want him to be the answer he’s barely an upgrade on Havertz He’s not enough, but if he was replacing Jesus and we still signed a starting striker, well then I’d say yeah that’s not bad

  9. I thought our best bet was to sign Randall Kolo Muani on loan deal without any obligations. But once Arsenal passed off that chance, I knew there was no genuine intention to bring in a player.
    And now the guy is doing a good job for Juventus.

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