Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis publicly announced in late May that this transfer period would be different than the last couple with Arsenal boasting the kind of financial power as the likes of Chelsea, United, and City. We were told that Arsenal have finally come out of the financial gloom from the new stadium costs and were ready to spend big on world class players. This was all told to us quite publicly, raising our hopes that maybe Wenger was going to buy the type of players we have all been crying out for.
Yet, it is now coming towards the end of July, and the only signing we have to brag about is Yaya Sanogo, the untested French U-20 striker who considered retiring less than a year ago. If that’s not depressing enough, the news that Stevan Jovetic has been scooped up by one of our rivals will surely put you over the edge. Although he has not been one of our top targets lately, Arsenal have been previously linked to him. This would all be insignificant news if things looked bright on the Higuain front but now that is looking more and more like it is going to fall through. A couple weeks ago it seemed like Higuain was guaranteed to be wearing an Arsenal jersey next season. There have now been reports suggesting that he is to sign with either Napoli or Chelsea. With the money Napoli have from their recent sale of Edison Cavani, they can easily afford Real Madrid’s new price tag for Higuain of £37 million and Mourinho has recently come out and said that he wishes to bring the Real Madrid striker over to Chelsea with him. In either case, Arsenal lose.
So where does that leave the Gunners? Wenger came out today and said that Arsenal have the money to afford Rooney, who has also long been linked to the club, but I just don’t see Wenger splashing that type of money for the 27 year old Manchester United man. It would signal an extremely drastic change in his policy and with other top clubs chasing after him (Chelsea have already announced an official offer) I just don’t see Wayne on the Arsenal squad next year.
Next on the never-ending list of rumors is Luis Suarez. If someone were to say in the middle of last season that Wenger was going to make an effort to sign the Uruguayan, I would have suggested that they see someone for their mental instability. However, it now seems that Suarez is the most likely candidate out of the three to join. Don’t get me wrong, it still seems like a major stretch and a lot of things have to go our way for it to happen, but nonetheless Suarez is the only player Wenger has actually made an offer for.
Regardless of Giroud’s fine form over in Asia, Arsenal need another striker, more so than any other position I believe. The sale of Jovetic to City limits the options Arsenal have to fill this need, not to mention that he will now be playing against us at least twice a year. Jovetic was a quality player who could have thrived playing just behind Giroud as more of a play-making center forward and the fact that City scooped him up as quickly as they did makes you wonder what exactly Wenger is doing behind those closed doors. The Boss now has to come up with something spectacular. The team needs to be improved and the fans need to be satisfied or more people will be calling for Wenger’s head, especially after the recent promises of star-signings. More importantly though, if our transfer period turns out as disappointing as the past have, which it is now shaping up to be, the players will also feel the effects. Arteta and Wilshere have come out recently and expressed their utter excitement for star signings to be making their way to the Emirates. If Wenger and the board fail to produce, the attitudes of the players will take a hit.
Arsenal’s summer shortcomings are highlighted by the Jovetic deal. Manchester City is just one of Arsenal’s rival clubs who have made more of an impact in the market. The addition of Yaya Sanogo is not good enough. Although there is still time left until the window closes, Wenger and company need to start fulfilling their promises or risk losing out on those top targets. We have the money, it is time to start spending it.
Source: Arsenal World
Source: FOOTYMAD
