Winter Transfer Missed Opportunities and Regrets

[Marc Overmars]

I’m disappointed we kept the powder dry but also accept that getting exactly who we want in January just wasn’t a realistic prospect. Even if we did buy Watkins, too much needs to go our way now for this season to be a success, although I did see that Liverpool’s next 3 away games are Everton, City and Villa…

But then you wouldn’t be surprised if we dropped points in that time too so it’s really a long shot right now. Plus we are a Havertz injury away from disaster.

I think turning around the Newcastle game would be awesome. Very unlikely but don’t underestimate the shot in the arm that could give us.

This season is probably going to pass us by but you hope lessons are learned and in the summer the club absolutely need to plough every penny they’ve got into the forward line.

[IBK]

Yes - I agree to a degree with the contrarians...

1. Despite Arteta obviously preferring a January forward signing to compensate for Jesus' long term injury, it's clear that the club has prioritised long term planning over short term reactionary signings. For me, this is a question of balancing risk. Would a striker have increased our limited prospects of winning the league or the CL this season - probably. But long term, spending money and big wages on a forward who is of the requisite standard now would inevitably reduce our prospects of signing top talent in the Summer, and therefore elevating the team going forwards. For me, our reported interest in Watkins tells us that he was someone on the club's radar already (albeit not the top option). I think that if Villa had been prepared to let him go, Watkins would have been our principal striker for the next 2/3 years and we would not have made a further 'top' signing up front in the Summer. This would have been a risk, given his age and the fact that last season may have been his high point. When this transfer failed to materialise, it's clear that the club were not prepared to take a punt outside a long term target and I can see the logic in sticking to a long term plan over a short term one.

2. We are the second highest goal scorers in the EPL this season, behind only Liverpool. We were in the same position last season. Let's face it, in both seasons, Jesus (4 EPL goals last season, 3 this) was hardly a factor. I would not even be particularly surprised if Sterling ends up matching his tally - as abject as he has been. So I can see why the club has not been principally motivated by his injury. While I am sure that a 'top' striker is in the club's longer term plans, our present incarnation is a team that shares the goals around and I have no doubt that our ability to do so fed into the decision not to sign a forward in this window.

3. On our current model, Saka is an incredibly important source of goals for us. But while he is out until at least next month, Nwaneri is suddenly turning out to be a credible understudy for him. I can see how the club thinks that if Nwaneri can chip in with 3 or 4 goals until Saka returns, this internal solution is as good as a player like Tel (who is untested and will need acclimatisation to the EPL) and that hijacking the Tel loan to Spurs would potentially deny Nwaneri playing time.

4. Then there is availability. There was clearly noone available in January whom the club felt would elevate our level. It's easy to feel that any warm body will do, but equally it's easy to fall into the washing machine of buying out of desperation, or hope rather than expectation. The 'big' teams that have done so recently - Sp*rs; Manure; even Citeh this season so far and potentially Villa - given their respective league positions and performances to date - are not models that I want to see us emulate. I would rather prioritise long term improvement - particularly given our consistent league positions since 2022/23.

I believe that a forward signing was needed mostly to ease the burden on our exisiting players - particularly Havertz - and I agree that an injury to him would be a disaster, and not bringing in a reinforcement is a big risk. But let's face it, any further injuries to our key players would effectively eliminate our title prospects, new striker or not. I think that the club has taken the view that the league is most likely beyond us now this season, but top 4 (the absolute imperative) is reaslistic even given our lack of transfer activity. There is logic for me in Arsenal taking this approach.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Yes - I agree to a degree with the contrarians...

1. Despite Arteta obviously preferring a January forward signing to compensate for Jesus' long term injury, it's clear that the club has prioritised long term planning over short term reactionary signings. For me, this is a question of balancing risk. Would a striker have increased our limited prospects of winning the league or the CL this season - probably. But long term, spending money and big wages on a forward who is of the requisite standard now would inevitably reduce our prospects of signing top talent in the Summer, and therefore elevating the team going forwards. For me, our reported interest in Watkins tells us that he was someone on the club's radar already (albeit not the top option). I think that if Villa had been prepared to let him go, Watkins would have been our principal striker for the next 2/3 years and we would not have made a further 'top' signing up front in the Summer. This would have been a risk, given his age and the fact that last season may have been his high point. When this transfer failed to materialise, it's clear that the club were not prepared to take a punt outside a long term target and I can see the logic in sticking to a long term plan over a short term one.

2. We are the second highest goal scorers in the EPL this season, behind only Liverpool. We were in the same position last season. Let's face it, in both seasons, Jesus (4 EPL goals last season, 3 this) was hardly a factor. I would not even be particularly surprised if Sterling ends up matching his tally - as abject as he has been. So I can see why the club has not been principally motivated by his injury. While I am sure that a 'top' striker is in the club's longer term plans, our present incarnation is a team that shares the goals around and I have no doubt that our ability to do so fed into the decision not to sign a forward in this window.

3. On our current model, Saka is an incredibly important source of goals for us. But while he is out until at least next month, Nwaneri is suddenly turning out to be a credible understudy for him. I can see how the club thinks that if Nwaneri can chip in with 3 or 4 goals until Saka returns, this internal solution is as good as a player like Tel (who is untested and will need acclimatisation to the EPL) and that hijacking the Tel loan to Spurs would potentially deny Nwaneri playing time.

4. Then there is availability. There was clearly noone available in January whom the club felt would elevate our level. It's easy to feel that any warm body will do, but equally it's easy to fall into the washing machine of buying out of desperation, or hope rather than expectation. The 'big' teams that have done so recently - Sp*rs; Manure; even Citeh this season so far and potentially Villa - given their respective league positions and performances to date - are not models that I want to see us emulate. I would rather prioritise long term improvement - particularly given our consistent league positions since 2022/23.

I believe that a forward signing was needed mostly to ease the burden on our exisiting players - particularly Havertz - and I agree that an injury to him would be a disaster, and not bringing in a reinforcement is a big risk. But let's face it, any further injuries to our key players would effectively eliminate our title prospects, new striker or not. I think that the club has taken the view that the league is most likely beyond us now this season, but top 4 (the absolute imperative) is reaslistic even given our lack of transfer activity. There is logic for me in Arsenal taking this approach.

Mainly because im coming on here to avoid getting work done (but in the process getting behind). I’m just going to respond with this.

[Chippy]

Only if the Kroenkes have secretly bet their entire fortune on Liverpool winning the league

Terrible window which says everything about Arteta and the club's lack of understanding of how we needed to bolster our attack

I already thought the league was gone but IMO the CL was at least a possibility if we'd brought another striker in

I honestly felt that this would be the best chance to win the Champions League this year. Not now.

The club are putting profits before success, sadly.

[Niall_Quinn]

I honestly felt that this would be the best chance to win the Champions League this year. Not now.

The club are putting profits before success, sadly.

I have never, at any point in the last couple of decades and particularly this season thought we had the faintest chance of winning the CL. We've never hit the levels of consistency that convinced me we wouldn't fuck it up during the sequence of performances required to win it.

But people seem to have amnesia when it comes to the PL run-in. There are always swings and plots twists in the final few weeks. Even now I don't consider us out of it and I don't think Liverpool are superior to us, in fact I think they have been the weakest league leaders in some time. They are clearly favourites but a couple of injuries here, a couple of dropped points there, a dodgy penalty, all the things that have happened at Arsenal could happen at Liverpool too and we should have done everything in our power this January to ensure we are there to take advantage if they slip up.

This isn't about long term plans or strategies or wage bills or anything that doesn't directly impact what happens on the pitch. This is about selling strikers and not replacing them in the summer - so now we say, wait until the summer and we'll get a striker. Says who? We didn't get one when we needed him last summer and we didn't get him when we needed him this month. This is about losing Jesus and not doing something to correct that when we had the chance. This is about winning titles when we have the opportunity to win titles - right now. If we can write that off and say, wait until the summer and then next season, then give it up now. Because something else will happen in the summer and next season that will then become the excuse to hurry up and wait some more. Jam tomorrow when the jar is open now.

It's like we are trying to paint the perfect picture of a football club, all we need is for our opponents to stand still and not disturb us. We were 2 points behind city last season and now they have dropped a level. That was when we should have been stepping up a level, particularly in the transfer market. Instead we sold players and kept the money. And brought in a has-been on loan that wasn't a good player before he came here and still isn't now that he's here. Cheap, insufficient, and I'd call it negligent.

I'm not up for hearing more excuses from these owners, or the manager or anyone who isn't 100% committed to winning this title, this year.

And maybe we still can if, scandalously, we can rely on the maligned Havertz to just keep going in the hope he doesn't drop, and if we can pile a ton of pressure and expectation on a 17 year old kid. This is not a smart strategy in any context. It smacks far more of incompetence. Or lack of ambition.

Other clubs managed to freshen up their squads this window. They'll face all the perceived problems and issues some say we can't afford to face. We could have and were compelled to do the same and we didn't even try, apart from nosing around the players we were never getting - like Watkins - and blatantly ignoring those that were there for the taking given some determination and a decent bid - like Vlahovic or Gyokeres.

We can try to decipher what's going on at the club and be generous in our conclusions, but it's also fair to look at it and say, here we go, same old Arsenal. The Kroenke's told us to get excited. We gave them another chance, which we shouldn't have done considering the way the hid behind Wenger with their wallet clamped shut. Fool me once...

[HCZ_Reborn]

I have never, at any point in the last couple of decades and particularly this season thought we had the faintest chance of winning the CL. We've never hit the levels of consistency that convinced me we wouldn't fuck it up during the sequence of performances required to win it.

But people seem to have amnesia when it comes to the PL run-in. There are always swings and plots twists in the final few weeks. Even now I don't consider us out of it and I don't think Liverpool are superior to us, in fact I think they have been the weakest league leaders in some time. They are clearly favourites but a couple of injuries here, a couple of dropped points there, a dodgy penalty, all the things that have happened at Arsenal could happen at Liverpool too and we should have done everything in our power this January to ensure we are there to take advantage if they slip up.

This isn't about long term plans or strategies or wage bills or anything that doesn't directly impact what happens on the pitch. This is about selling strikers and not replacing them in the summer - so now we say, wait until the summer and we'll get a striker. Says who? We didn't get one when we needed him last summer and we didn't get him when we needed him this month. This is about losing Jesus and not doing something to correct that when we had the chance. This is about winning titles when we have the opportunity to win titles - right now. If we can write that off and say, wait until the summer and then next season, then give it up now. Because something else will happen in the summer and next season that will then become the excuse to hurry up and wait some more. Jam tomorrow when the jar is open now.

It's like we are trying to paint the perfect picture of a football club, all we need is for our opponents to stand still and not disturb us. We were 2 points behind city last season and now they have dropped a level. That was when we should have been stepping up a level, particularly in the transfer market. Instead we sold players and kept the money. And brought in a has-been on loan that wasn't a good player before he came here and still isn't now that he's here. Cheap, insufficient, and I'd call it negligent.

I'm not up for hearing more excuses from these owners, or the manager or anyone who isn't 100% committed to winning this title, this year.

And maybe we still can if, scandalously, we can rely on the maligned Havertz to just keep going in the hope he doesn't drop, and if we can pile a ton of pressure and expectation on a 17 year old kid. This is not a smart strategy in any context. It smacks far more of incompetence. Or lack of ambition.

Other clubs managed to freshen up their squads this window. They'll face all the perceived problems and issues some say we can't afford to face. We could have and were compelled to do the same and we didn't even try, apart from nosing around the players we were never getting - like Watkins - and blatantly ignoring those that were there for the taking given some determination and a decent bid - like Vlahovic or Gyokeres.

We can try to decipher what's going on at the club and be generous in our conclusions, but it's also fair to look at it and say, here we go, same old Arsenal. The Kroenke's told us to get excited. We gave them another chance, which we shouldn't have done considering the way the hid behind Wenger with their wallet clamped shut. Fool me once...

It’s not that I massively disagree with most of what you’re saying, in a perfect world we’d have the owners who would spend the money to get us a replacement for Jesus in the here and now as well as get us a striker in the summer (and the finances would allow for us to do so). But we don’t.

That we don’t have the ownership that has that ambition should be a surprise to no one. But unless you’re planning on forming a consortium of investors that could make Tom Selleck an offer he can’t refuse (plomo o plata) it seems easier to deal with the situation as it exists

[Niall_Quinn]

It’s not that I massively disagree with most of what you’re saying, in a perfect world we’d have the owners who would spend the money to get us a replacement for Jesus in the here and now as well as get us a striker in the summer (and the finances would allow for us to do so). But we don’t.

That we don’t have the ownership that has that ambition should be a surprise to no one. But unless you’re planning on forming a consortium of investors that could make Tom Selleck an offer he can’t refuse (plomo o plata) it seems easier to deal with the situation as it exists

Yeah but let's not make excuses for them so they can ride out their complacency in luxury. I'm not ready to condemn Arteta yet, but it is kind of strange that Edu fucked off and the transfers fell off a cliff. Not saying Edu was some genius either. The indicators do seem to point to a shift in intent though, one which he maybe picked up on and thought, oh well, they don't need me then.

I think we're up there with face pressed against the glass, within touching distance both in the PL and Europe. And I think this is good enough for the likes of Kroenke. It's enough. No need to go that extra yard when all his key financial boxes are ticked off and general favourability with the customer base is acceptable. This is why I'm not convinced the summer argument is a sure thing. We just went through a crucial summer and did nothing. Evidence, so far, does not support some of the arguments and calls for patience being made here.

More likely I see us slowly trailing off until the fans get restless again and, finally, some of the profits get fed back to give us a little jolt and start the cycle again. So that's what the fans should focus on now, holding the club to account in the summer and not forgetting this transfer window or the last just because they can buy an expensive Zubimendi shirt (which probably won't look anything like the Arsenal shirt, again)

[HCZ_Reborn]

I don’t think anyone is 100% convinced by the summer argument, it’s just what choice do you have. Plus if you flip the equation, if we wouldn’t sell one of our top players half way through the season you’d have to conclude other clubs won’t either

I blame Arteta because it’s whilst it’s clear that because we are getting into top 4, the wallet is now closed….nothing stopped him from buying strikers at any time over the last few years. We are in the situation where we desperately need a striker because of Arteta. We are meant to believe that he has a Goldilocks attitude to strikers (have to be just right) when he’s had no trouble piling up a load of sub par full backs, goalkeepers etc


We only have Havertz because Arteta relented from using him in the no 8 role. The guy is a complete cunt. One doesn’t have to absolve KSE of just using us as an asset for their portfolio to acknowledge this

[Niall_Quinn]

I don’t think anyone is 100% convinced by the summer argument, it’s just what choice do you have. Plus if you flip the equation, if we wouldn’t sell one of our top players half way through the season you’d have to conclude other clubs won’t either

I blame Arteta because it’s whilst it’s clear that because we are getting into top 4, the wallet is now closed….nothing stopped him from buying strikers at any time over the last few years. We are in the situation where we desperately need a striker because of Arteta. We are meant to believe that he has a Goldilocks attitude to strikers (have to be just right) when he’s had no trouble piling up a load of sub par full backs, goalkeepers etc


We only have Havertz because Arteta relented from using him in the no 8 role. The guy is a complete cunt. One doesn’t have to absolve KSE of just using us as an asset for their portfolio to acknowledge this

Right, there is some truth to the argument Arteta is allergic to strikers when you look at the transfer business and the way he eased Auba out. Plus the years spent with Pep who brought Barcelona to Manchester along with his Villa/ Aguero and (ironically) Jesus notions on what makes a striker. But even Pep has relented. So I hope it's not that with Arteta or else we're fucked anyway. And that would make the talk of Isak pure smokescreen, more concern for next summer.

As for not wanting to sell and therefore not being able to buy, Vlahovic has refused to sign a new contract and (IIRC) has a buy-out clause. And Gyokeres has 4 months left to run on his contract doesn't he? And a buy-out clause. I can see the players would be sitting there themselves waiting for the summer and the chance to secure big signing bonuses. So trigger their clauses, pay the fee, bundle the signing-fee on top. Either of those players would not just solve the problem this season but they'd also satisfy the requirements of the summer window. Not saying it couldn't be done for sure, but it doesn't look like we made much of an effort after the initial approach.

The Watkins thing was full Suarez + £1 territory again. Embarrassing. But also instructive and a clue to the real intentions, conning the fans. Another bad indicator for the summer.

And do we actually want Isak btw? Is there a chance he's just Jesus MkII? And at 120-150mill? That's not going to happen, is it? And it probably shouldn't happen.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Isaak would make sense in so far that Arteta like a lot of coaches goes with what he knows. He is from San Sebastián, therefore him looking to build his team on ex Sociedad players would be no more strange than if you or I coached a big name European club and wanted to build a team that includes Arsenal players past and present.

It’s possible that we are hoping that Newcastle miss out on top four again, and the pressing issue of being FSR compliant means we have more leverage over them. I don’t think he’d be Jesus mark 2 because Jesus was never exactly prolific even at Man City where as Isak yes there are injury question marks but he’s almost got to 50 goals in less than 75 games. In a day and age where top strikers are at a premium, that’s stand up and take notice stats