I have seen a lot of comments on here about how underwhelmed some Arsenal fans have been about this summers transfer window, despite seeing so many needed players come in and most of them arrived long before the mad deadline day uncertainty..
So let us summarise how our window actually went…
ARRIVALS
Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Borussia Dortmund), Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria), Matteo Guendouzi (Lorient)
We spent a total of 70 Million GBP, which is what we were told would be the figure before the window even opened)
DEPARTURES
Santi Cazorla (Villareal, free), Calum Chambers (Fulham, loan), Per Mertesacker (retired), Lucas Perez (West Ham, £4m) Jack Wilshere (West Ham, free)
So no big players lost (although I am still a bit surprised at Chambers going) and hardly any money earned. We have strengthened the positions that were needed (for a change!) and we certainly cannot say that most of them are very experienced. And the arrival of the excellent and confident starlet Guendouzi has been one of the highlights as far as I am concerned.
Even Paul Merson, who generally tears Arsenal to pieces, thinks that we have had a good summer. He said: “They needed a defender. Lichtsteiner is 35 and has been a very good player, but how many 35-year-olds are playing at the back in the Premier League? But he’s had to buy experience, we’re not in a position where Arsene Wenger can buy 17 or 18-year-old talent and hope they’re good in five years. I think Umai Emery has bought well, but it is going to take time. You have to give this manager time but I think he’ll be alright.
“He couldn’t have a worse start with Man City at home and Chelsea away so for me, you just have to give him time but it’ll be different, even on Super Sunday, you’ll see the way they’ll set up and you know there will be a plan. It won’t be like the old days.”
Maybe he will soften his stance against us now that Wenger’s gone, but I can’t help but agree with him. We have a better squad. We have a top tactical manager. We have hope (well some of us do!) and we have a greedy money-obsessed owner (Oops didn’t mean for that to slip out!) and the future is looking rosey (except for the owner of course).
If it wasn’t for the takeover I would say we have done excellent business. Wouldn’t you?
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