It took awhile, but Arsenal FC finally got into the swing of things this summer transfer window when they made their first signing in the middle to late portion of it.
Of course, people wondered why they hadn’t use this period to address their biggest issue, the back line, and that finally occurred in the 11th hour of the transfer window. Let’s take a look at who came, who left and where that puts the Gunners right now in the grand scheme of things.
Arsenal FC New arrivals of note:
Central defender David Luiz moved over from Chelsea on deadline day, marking the second time the Brazilian made a shock move on the last day of the transfer period. Celtic left back Kieran Tierney also moved over just today, despite the north London side chasing him all summer.
Lille right winger Nicolas Pepe shattered up the club transfer record with his move up while the French connection continued with the acquisition of St. Etienne central defender William Saliba; who will be loaned back for the upcoming season. Additionally, Dani Ceballos was acquired on loan from Real Madrid.
Arsenal FC Departures of significance:
Central defender Laurent Koscielny held out, and eventually got his wish to leave, with Bordeaux providing an escape route. Danny Welbeck and David Ospsine moved on as well.
Arsenal FC Team needs addressed and not addressed:
Unai Emery’s side beefed up pretty much everywhere, with the defense obviously being the most pressing need. Are their defender pick-ups all that much of an upgrade though? We’ll have to see. Overall, you have to credit the Emirates for making moves and splashing the cash.
Maybe the Kroenkes did listen to the messages of the fan protests after all?
Arsenal FC Synopsis and overall grade: B+
No club embodied the spirit of the phrase “under promise and over deliver” quite like Arsenal. A giant club, they managed expectations by keeping them very low and crying poor, saying they only had about £40 million to spend this summer.
Although they were late bloomers, they then went out and did some heavy duty shopping, putting them right in the thick of it with the rest of the big boys. They didn’t miss out on Champions League qualification by much last season and the new upgrades should be enough to put them over the top and finally back in this time around.
Summer Transfer Window Analysis/Season Previews
Arsenal Tottenham City United Liverpool Chelsea
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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