What’s next for Arsenal?
After a dismal transfer window, what can we expect from Arsenal in the next year?
With all the news coming out of Arsenal sounding supportive of Mikel Arteta, whispers of a new upgraded contract have floated around recently regardless of our current form.
I think the board will offer Arteta a 2-year contract extension with an improved wage after our table progress this season and chance of getting European football again.
I don’t see a better manager currently available, and even though we have failed dismally in all competitions, the Kroenkes will probably back this project for at least another full season.
End the season strong.
Positive thinking maybe, but with us no longer remaining in any other competitions, we simply must finish this year in strong form, wins at Chelsea, West Ham and Spurs is essential for our league position.
The fact that Manchester United and West Ham didn’t strengthen in January is a small boost because we aren’t the only team that failed to find any reinforcements in the window.
Spurs made two deadline day signings from Juventus; they will be the main team pushing for the fourth spot in my opinion after reinventing themselves under Conte.
However, if we pull a winning run together, I believe we can get top four. We will have less games to play, hopefully less injuries, and one focus on getting European football back to the Emirates.
A busy summer must follow though.
Left with one of the smallest and youngest squad in the league, Arteta has clearly spent the last few windows cleaning the squad of deadwood and the summer simply must invest into bulking out the team.
Firstly, Alexander Isak will be brought in, we will have to pay the £75 million release clause for the player after failing to bring him to the club for £50 million in January, Real Sociedad won’t budge on price.
The Swedish international was seen around London last week with a permanent personalised number plate on his car, the transfer would be a much-needed boost after a dismal last transfer window.
The 22-year-old is the young technical striker is what Arsenal fans are calling out for.
With our two striker opinions (Lacazette and Nketiah) both out of contract in summer, it must be certain that we will strengthen in this area now.
I know Lyon really want Laca, but I would possibly expect a one-year extension for the current Arsenal captain.
Matt Turner seems set to become the Arsenal number two keeper but delayed until summer, after Newcastle’s busy January I wouldn’t be surprised if they bought Leno as their first choice.
As of a right back replacement to backup Tomiyasu, my choice would be Lamptey as a young English option, he would rekindle his relationship with Ben White.
Centre midfielder. Bissouma would be my favourite choice, but I doubt Brighton would sell us two players this summer.
Missing out on Guimaraes was a huge blow and Arthur Melo rumour seems to have died out.
Pepe’s contract lasts until 2024 however I think that he may leave in the summer after not getting much gametime under Arteta and admitting he is not happy. If we sell him then surely, we find a winger replacement in summer too.
Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi and Saliba are those on loan who I expect to re-join the Arsenal squad and give us more depth too.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we are one of the biggest spenders especially if we get a European spot, £150 million or more.
What do you expect to happen?
Until next time Gooners,
Benedict
Couple more red cards, some more poor contract management and throw in a couple oustings while we are at it.
Not turning up against Wolves next week in a must win game. That’s why I expect to be honest. I have no faith that we have done anything to stop the “non performance” that keeps happening with this Arsenal team. I think away to wolves will be the season defining game. Hope I’m wrong but I reckon we”ll be “out passioned”.
😂😂
I am hearing of Calvert Lewin and Neves, so if that’s true the next six months will just get more depressing.
We can still wish that Kroenke will sell and Arteta will be out
Whats wrong with DCL?
Do you actually watch him play? Have you seen him play or you’re like most fan will do, judging him based off internet and the fact that he doesn’t have huge hype surrounding him?
I’ll be happy to take DCL in a heartbeat. He’s always been one I’ve always looked forward to and loved watching since 2 seasons ago. I can’t wait to see his link up with Salad and co, while also being there for those crosses of Tierney.
I’m indifferent about Neves though, he’s a bigger upgrade on Xhaka. He’s just Xhaka without the brainfarts. They both do their job well, one just doesn’t have errors in him. I want someone better than Xhaka, and Neves isn’t exactly that
I expect top 6 but hope for top 4 which is doable.
If Arsenal didn’t think paying Isak’s RC this winter when he could’ve helped pushed for the top four. What makes you think they’ll trigger his RC in the summer?
He’s not worth that amount, tesa promising you striker, but he doesn’t have the number of goals for the amount being touted.
Right, I’ll love to see Lamprey too, Bissouma would be good, but has he dealt with his off the field issue with the police? I wasn’t following his case, so any update on that?
Guendouzi is joing Marseille permanently. AMN isn’t cut it for the CM position he keeps asking for.
On God, I don’t want Your Tielemans please. You people complain about Xhaka being slow? Tielemans makes Xhaka look like he’s Barry Allen. Maybe it has to do with his added weight, I don’t care about his once in a while goals from outside the box, even Xhaka did that when he came. I just hope we get someone better than both players.
If we can get DCL and Isak for our striking options then that would be immense.
I think getting UCL will be the big factor when looking at the players we will get.
I’m on the team with this run, it’s now that the fanbase needs to be more vocal on matchdays.
The fans going to the games this season ? They’ve been immense with overwhelming support. Let’s give that final push for the rest of the season.
At the start of the season, almost everyone already wrote us of, including our fans and no one expected us to compete for a top 4 spot. Now that we’re in the position, some fans still pretend we were expected to be in this position months ago.
We can get UCL, let’s just take it a game a time
Lol Eddie – always enjoy your posts my friend.
Correct – let’s ignore Guendouzi who will stay at Marseille.
I think the Bissouma affair is still bubbling in the background, and even if not, for me his ongoing off-field nocturnal preferences cast huge doubts whether he can ever be trusted – I see another time-bomb there.
Is AMN on loan with no buy obligation? Irrelevant to me anyway as he couldn’t cut it even in a far worse team than we have now.
Agree Lamptey would be great but a) would he come to be an understudy b) I think he would cost for more than the £15m odd being bandied about.
Initially I was anti DCL, but I’ve come arround. a) he’s a rugged, hold-up player who can drop back – all Laca traits essential to this team b) Everton have been poor for a long time – difficult to stand out or play your best in such a disjointed line-up c) He scores goals and can head a ball, there’s a novelty! d) he’s an experienced international and would improve under Arteta. My only concern? His injury – long term injuries can permanently affect players. He’s missed 18 games this season.
Agree about Tielemans. Great on the ball but watch Leicester and you see how often he is way off the play. We play a quick game and he will be nowhere near it. Get’s mugged a lot on the ball too.
Ditto on Isak. Great last year, underwhelming this. Technically good and theoritically fits our style but has a long way to go. Would need a season to develop here and even then may not be good enough. We need a striker for now not in 2 seasons, overpriced by about £30m!
I like the look of J David of Lille, although with the usual caveat re players from the French league.
Really pleased we didn’t take Arthur or Morato, and trust Arteta to unearth more young gems to supplement a couple of bigger names.
Disagree about Neves though. He’s not a “sexy”, exciting player and goes unappreciated much like Odegaard did with many fans – “not quick enough and does nothing” – Neves is the deeper lying version. Every team needs “water-carriers” though, who allow the flair players to look good, and he’s a damned fine one (and no he’s not as slow or awkward as Xhaka!)
Exciting close season. If we reproduce our pre New Year form and stay fit we can make top 4. Hope Tomi is back soon though as Cedric unbalances the whole team.
If we believe in the rumoured investment Summer could be a lot of fun!
Totally depends on how we finish the season. Get into Europa, or better yet CL, I expect the owner to splash the cash on three high end players (and Saliba to come back)
Anything less, I expect floods, packs of locusts and a divided fan base that makes the Wenger In/Out look like a love-in at Woodstock.
Lol Voyageur. Amusing but true!
The next important milestone is the end of the season. And I’m not very hopeful for the following reasons:
1) Laca, our main striker, has nothing to play for.
In fact, Lyon have already confirmed that they will be taking him back.
2) He will be more careful and cautious on the pitch to reduce the risk of serious injury before leaving.
3) He will be playing to impress his new boss at Lyon – not Arteta.
4)He will playing to influence the size of the free-agency-payment from the next club.
NKetiah will be in a similar position, too, except there is no clear suitor at the time.
The net effect overall will be a deeply divided team, with individual members working to different agendas. This is far from the winning environment we need to have for the team to win consistently.
With Nketiah I agree and it’s obvious – lethargic and disinterested. But with Laca I’ve seen the complete opposite, especially since he was given the captaincy. He tires more recently, but rarely do I see a lack of commitment to the team.
I think, like Ramsey a few years ago, Laca will continue to give his all. Whether that’s enough is another story.
Well said Voyageur!
One thing we cannot doubt is that Lacs will give his all until the end of the season
I agree with Guy, another thing is that he doesn’t have to impress Lyon,being a Lyon academy player they know what they’re getting and if Lacs decides to join them,he is well aware that he’d have to take a pay cut but I believe he’ll go to AM,in his goodbye tweet to Auba,he said see you soon(probably see you soon in Spain??)
An article in which I agree with very much of the general thrust of comments .
I do differ on us bringing back Guendouzi and do not see that happening in a million years – not a cat in hells chance IMO – and also no return for AMN.
On Isak and us agreeing a fee of £75, I say thatfigure will not happen. At a significantly lower figure, then PERHAPS but far from a certainty even then.
His club are clearly overpricing his value and will not get that sort of fee from anyone for what he has done so far, as he is still young and not definitely proven, even though promising.
I also believe there is a valid reason WHY we have not bid for the highly effective Bissouma and that is his character, which is doubtful, and IMO has meant MA has no interest in him coming to us.
I agree with that stance to, even though he is quality ON the field. But off it? I suspect NOT!
Lastly, we CAN get top four, but will we? We have a CHANCE but I feel we are too short in numbers now and needed replacements in the window, which did not happen.
But despite these quibbles, I much like this article!
Too much pressure on the youth to step up and carry the team. We need Martinelli, Saka, ESR, and Odegaard to find another level in attack for 5 months.
We need the “City performance” from Partey every time he steps on the pitch. We need Xhaka to stay in his lane, and stop with the yellow and red cards.
Tomi would have to continue his remarkable run of consistency, Ramsdale the same, and White and Gabriel would need to maintain form.
Overall, too much pressure on young players and a young team to finish top4, maybe even top 6. There is zero room for error, and Arteta has not shown the tactical nuance to make up the difference from the sidelines.
Sorry to seem negative, but I’m being realistic and practical based on what we have seen from the players for 5 months, and the manager for 2 years.
far too often, including with MA’s appointment, the theme here is “against the odds”, as is logically evidenced by your above statements Durand…it’s about playing out from the back, 4-2-3-1 possession-based tactics, re-upping Auba considering the counter-intuitive style of play, the plethora of crosses with no discernable target man, the lack of overlapping play to protect your younger stars, etc…these are but a few examples of how we have continually set ourselves up to fail because no one with a modicum of common sense would pursue these courses of action and actually expect a successful outcome
It just repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results. We mere mired in woeful Artetaball and struggled to score and not get hammered by the top teams in the league.
Every once in a while we will see a ray of light, slick passing, direct attacking football, and a quick decisive edge to our play.
We get a result, dominate the opponent, then right back to Artetaball for the next several games.
Artetaball meaning
Slow buildup, CB getting more touches than wingers and midfielders, static positioning, lacking creativity, and nearly every chance created comes from the wings; often a fullback lumping a cross into the box, sometimes more than 15 a game.
We rarely try creating anything through the middle, Laca drops so deep to get on the ball we don’t have a striker ready to make any runs into the box.
Over and over we see these tactics; even with 12 new players we see this continue with the same predictable results.
At some point you have to stop spending and look at the tactics. How could Wenger and Emery get better results with inferior talent in their squad? Tactics and style of play is the answer. Man management and getting the most from players you have.