Winter Transfer Missed Opportunities and Regrets

[IBK]

Also, I want to mention the effect of leaks on the impression given of the club. I am not sure that people would feel unhappy about Arsenal's transfer negotiations if they weren't played out so publicly. There is undoubtedly a narrative in the press that we can't get deals over the line that I think is a bit unfair, given (1) we are compared to competitors for whom money is simply no object, and (2) there are few clubs who have been as successful with transfers for the past year and a half.

Make no mistake, the leaks don't come from Arsenal. We may be to blame for pissing Shaktar off (and who doesn't tap up players these days?), but they were delighted to play us out in public, and Brighton stood to gain by pushing up the value of a player in full view of a feverish deadline day press pack that still, in part, wants to see us fail.

We have all seen how Edu's preferred approach is for signings to happen without fanfare. If stories of our January 'failures' had come out after the business we have done, I'm not so sure that the club would be regarded as failing the window.

[mandela8]

Did I just report a post instead of posting my own

I ain't typing that oot again.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Did I just report a post instead of posting my own

I ain't typing that oot again.

The faint glimmerings of self awareness

[Letters]

Did I just report a post instead of posting my own

I ain't typing that oot again.

You did, you wazzock. This is what you wrote:

If someone told me Arsenal would reinforce CB, DM and out wide I'd have been very happy. If they'd named Trossard, Jorginho and a young promising big lad at the big I'd also have been very happy.

As it stands, they missed out on two hugely talented young players who'd have been the future of the club, which leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Pretty weird situation but trying to take a step back and be objective...it's a very good January window, imo/fact.

[Mac76]

TBH I was always surprised they were going for big-ticket players when i thought the need was more about shoring the squad in the way we actually have ended up doing.

I guess we had to go for Mudryk while we could but we have a lot of talented players, it was backup we needed.

So I'm happy with this window- our biggest weakness was lack of squad depth and all three of the signings have improved that in important positions. I'm particularly pleased with Trossard.

Also we shipped out Cedric on loan which can't be bad

[mandela8]

You did, you wazzock. This is what you wrote:

Thanks, mate.

Was very confused for a bit there.

Arsenal are better now than they were before the window started and the intent shown bodes well for the summer spending activities.

[IBK]

Thanks, mate.

Was very confused for a bit there.

Arsenal are better now than they were before the window started and the intent shown bodes well for the summer spending activities.

I agree with your post mate. Not sure we 'missed out' on Caceido though. I think it was a bold play to land him that didn't quite work as ultimately he was not for sale. As for Mudryk, I think we would probably have landed him if it wasn't for Chelsea, and the question is therefore should we be trying to go toe to toe with a club with so much cash to gamble following an almost underhand wiping off of their debt by an outgoing oligarch. The answer has to be no.

So yes - there's a degree of disappointment, but like you say seen in isolation - a solid and sensible January that is in keeping with a strategy that is paying better and quicker dividents than we would have hoped.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Yeah I think the conclusion that we are better squad wise than we were on January 1st is something I think most of us can agree on. There were disappointments but ultimately it feels like we did what we needed to do.

Kiwior I have zero opinion on, but a left footed defender makes sense

Jorginho I think is not the player he was, but I think he’s better than Elneny

Trossard wouldn’t have been my first choice but I have to say, I was watching some of the goals he scored for Brighton the other day…there is a mixture of the almost nonchalant in their quality. And he makes things seem effortless