James Goyder
Arsene Wenger always came across as indecisive in the transfer market. This perception might not have been fair, but he frequently left it to the very last minute to make signings and in several seasons Arsenal definitely dropped points in August as a result.
Since the new transfer committee was introduced the change has been dramatic. In January Arsenal brought in two world class attacking players, shipped out a couple of key squad members and got another one tied down to an eye watering long term contract.
The business was swift, under the circumstances, and showed the sort of decisiveness that the club had been lacking. The summer transfer window hasn’t officially opened yet and Arsenal have already confirmed one new signing, with two more apparently well on their way to completion.
It is also worth pointing out that Arsenal acted swiftly and decisively to appoint Wenger’s successor. Unai Emery has been installed as manager for several weeks now, while Chelsea supporters still have absolutely no idea who will be in charge of their club next season.
Stephen Liechtensteiner might not be a name to set the pulse racing but he wasn’t signed as a statement. The Swiss international is effectively a direct replacement for Mathieu Debuchy, and as a multiple Serie A winner he should be more than capable of serving as back up to first choice right back Hector Bellerin.
A deal for experienced Greek centre half Sokratis Papastathopoulos also appears to have been done. This was an area that needed strengthening even before Laurent Koscielny’s achilles exploded and while Arsenal already have quite a few players in this position none of them could really be described as ‘in form’.
If reliable looking reports are to be believed (which often isn’t the case) then a Uruguayan defensive midfielder called Lucas Torreira will also be joining any day now. These are not the sort of signings to set the pulse racing, unlike the arrival of Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil, but it is refreshing to see Arsenal go about their business in such a brisk, efficient manner
While waiting until the 11th hour to do a deal for Ozil proved a Wenger masterstroke this strategy didn’t always play dividends. The decision to spend the best part of £50 million buying Lucas Perez and Shokdan Mustafi on August 30th, 2016 wasn’t one of his better ones and there’s surely something to be said for bringing in a new defender before the season starts, not after.
This is the type of thing that frustrates Arsenal fans. You don’t need to have played the game professionally, hold a coaching license or have studied sports science to realize that a new centre half is going to benefit from a few weeks of pre-season training with his new team mates.
Whether or not the likes of Liechtensteiner, Sokratis and Torreira will prove more successful than Perez or Mustafi remains to be seen. But, assuming all three deals are signed and sealed before pre season training starts, at least they will be given every chance to hit the ground running in a way that the last minute 2016 additions weren’t.
In six months Sven Mislintat has overseen the signings of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lichtststeiner. The German also appears to be close to securing the signatures of Sokratis and Torreira, adding some much needed balance and stability to a squad which looked in tatters at the turn of the year.
Ultimately Emery and Mislintat will be judged by results on the pitch. But Aubameyang has already proved a smash hit success which buys the latter a lot of goodwill in my book. The problems at the heart of the midfield and defence also appear to have been immediately addressed.
Wenger sometimes seemed willing to spend several seasons working with an incomplete squad while he waited for the perfect striker or defensive midfielder to emerge. By contrast the newly installed transfer committee appears to be focused on immediate results rather than some vague, idealistic long term objective.
The change has been immediate and apparent. In the past The Emirates has been a frustrated place on the opening day of the season because fans understandably felt the club was showing absolutely no ambition in the transfer market.
The atmosphere at the start of the next season should be markedly different. It is a new era at Arsenal and overtaking the likes of Manchester City will be extremely difficult given the club’s current financial limitations. But at least the early signs are positive.
Twitter@jamesgoyder
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