In theory, Arsenal FC should be spending big all the time, just like the Manchester clubs and Chelsea. As you obviously know, they certainly do not. Last summer, manager Arsene Wenger brought in goalkeeper Petr Cech, and that’s it. He did not acquire a single outfield player.
That’s probably what cost the Gunners the league title last season. A championship was right there for the taking, should they have made the proper upgrade or two. This year brought a more aggressive Arsenal summer transfer window, but they still disappointed.
We saw the highest spending single day in Wenger history with the double swoop for Lucas Perez Martinez and Shokdran Mustafi. Some Arsenal supporters viewed these additions as panic buys, and I do see their point. Any time you bring in a player that you took a pass on earlier in the summer, you’re simply inviting that valid critique.
Still, the Gunners spent a record amount as a while this summer, so you can’t say that they didn’t give it their all. Unfortunately, the three clubs we mentioned at the top of the post all won their transfer windows, and that’s the standard against which Arsenal and Wenger shall be judged.
Arsenal FC had a truly awesome summer transfer window…if their name was actually Everton, Southampton or a club of that size. They finally got a new striker, but they didn’t get one who’s a bonafide, hands-down major upgrade over Olivier Giroud, and that’s exactly what their fans have clamored for for the longest time.
The moves they did make reinforce a strong side, especially within the spine of the team, but they’re still quite noticeably behind the three teams (Manchester United, City, Chelsea) who have had top form early on this season. Yes, it’s very early, but it looks like only one spot in the top four will truly be up for grabs this season, and Arsenal have serious competition for that slot.
Jurgen Klopp’s new look Liverpool, defending champion Leicester City and a Tottenham Hotspur club coming off their best season in a very long time will all give Arsenal a serious challenge to grab that last spot. The Gunners just do not miss out on the top four it seems, but this might be the year.
Arsenal did do a good job clearing out some driftwood, and the buys they made were decent, but they didn’t get world class players for the money that they did spend.
More importantly, the net result still places Arsenal FC behind the rest of the pack. Thus we can only give their summer transfer window a rating of 6/10; C+
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.