Wenger suggests he has no transfer plans!
The January transfer window is just over a week away and so the rumours are now in full swing. Arsenal are linked with hundreds of players as per the usual, however does Wenger hold an interest in any of them? Wenger has always been cautious when speaking to the media about his interests in the transfer window and so often it’s been hard to tell exactly what his plan is. However in the build up to the transfer window, Wenger seems to have suggested there are no plans for incoming players to the Emirates this winter.
When questioned about his transfer window plans, Wenger revealed in his pre-match press conference: ‘Of course, because we have [Lucas] Perez, [Olivier] Giroud, [Danny] Welbeck, [Theo] Walcott, [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain and we have plenty of options offensively. Defensively, we are not in the need at the moment.’
It seems that Wenger appears to be happy with the strength of his squad, despite the team crumbling under the pressure of the busy winter schedule. I agree that Arsenal are packed full of quality in defence, despite our poor defensive record. The players we have in defence are experienced and they are a real quality calibre of players. Where our downfall may be is that when the injuries to Bellerin and Mustafi have occurred, the replacements in the wings may not have been up to scratch.
Arsenal’s midfield is arguably more competitive than any other in the league. Wenger has a selection of midfielders to choose from for every day, with every midfielder perfectly capable of replacing each other week in week out in my opinion. Currently due to injuries, Wenger’s rotation in midfield hasn’t been great, but I believe we are more than secure in midfield.
In attack, despite the heroics of Alexis so far this season, our attacking options still aren’t great in my opinion. Our wingers are largely inconsistent, whilst besides Alexis, Giroud and Perez haven’t cut it in the Premier League so far this season. Giroud has been a great impact sub, but is he going to offer Arsenal more than Alexis playing up front? As for Welbeck, he is soon to return to training, but can Arsene Wenger rely on Welbeck’s fitness for the rest of the season?
We all have our opinions in which area should be strengthened during the transfer window and I think on paper every area could still be improved in terms of quality. However it relies on the sales of the average players in the squad, as well of course the availability of talent on the market and the willing investment from Arsenal. Wenger’s words at the moment seem to suggest that we shouldn’t expect too much activity from Arsenal, but will there be a late Christmas present for the fans to enjoy in January?
By AH