Has anything really changed? | Do we have enough to fight Man City | Arsenal Transfer Market Review

Are you as an Arsenal fan happy with Arsenal's transfer window? Do you think our squad depth is stronger? Do you believe we've added quality in the pursuit of winning the Premier League title and addressing the golfing class between Arsenal and Manchester City? As I said, it's what's expected to be our third title challenge after the last two years ended in disappointment. Now, to be fair, the club didn't directly come out and say this, but you do look at the mouthpieces and the more informed journalists in usual fashion. When one transfer, sorry, when one league campaign ends, there's a lot of bullish chat about what we're going to do and not do people. And I think every Arsenal fan wanted our club to not necessarily spend 100 million on a player, but have a signal of intent that we want to address the golf in quality against Manchester City. We did bring in some quality first team additions, but in terms of marrying the depth, I do believe, you know, Arsenal fans would be left disappointed, people. You know, we know we've brought in Mikel Moreno, Ricardo Calafori, made David Reyes move permanent and also acquired Raheem Sterling on a loan basis. There was a point towards the end of the window in that, obviously, we turned it around and big up Neto for signing for us. The only new player we had was Ricardo Calafori. As you know, we spent around just over 20 odd million on Mikel Moreno. We then spent similar fee where David Reyes is concerned before spending an initial 38.4 million on Ricardo Calafori. This summer, we spent 93.9 million people. I'm sure the higher powers that be at Arsenal will be happy with the net spend and the positive spend Arsenal did on the face of it. Positive bank balance helps us in future windows to come. And we do have a positive balance in that. I do think the sales of Emil Smithrow and Eddie Nketiah are probably the best business we did. Maybe could have got some better fees for several young players that departed the football club. Maybe could have not scrambled around where the goalkeeper situation was concerned. And while I think Raheem Sterling will be a good bit of business and a good contingency plan, Edu said that wasn't on our agenda. And obviously, the fact that he's 29, he's still got a number of years, but doesn't provide longevity. So for me, it would be described as a mixed bag if I'm honest with you. We spent 93.9 million in total, which is just slightly less than what we've initially spent. As we get better, I understand the talent pool finding players that can improve us are slim, and we don't necessarily need to have mad money spent windows if that makes sense. But isn't it excuse to keep making out that Arsenal have to be 100% convinced on a certain player? Because although I think the striker market isn't the best, while I don't advocate signing players for the sake of them, if you're not 100% convinced, considering Mikel Arteta and Edu said they had meetings in March and April, considering last January, Edu said he's already began his work to the summer. Did we move as proactively as we could? Was it a bit more messy than we would have loved to have had it? Now, obviously, you had the Copa America, you had the Euros, players that could have been available, plans could have shifted, and likewise players that weren't available. But, you know, you look at the goalkeeper front, we went around the houses and we didn't necessarily secure our number one targets. I mean, it'd be naive to assume Arsenal bought Mikel Mourinho and California purely off the Euros. We've heard we've looked at double M Mikel, you know, Mikel Arteta's namesake for over a year and similar rhetoric around California. You would imagine, though, Arsenal clearly watched the Euros with a fine eye, and that added us further confirmation. Then you look at what you could say is the ever so slightly predictable but yet unpredictable random loan addition of Raheem Sterling, a player that was discarded by Manchester City, has found himself out of the England contentions and is considered damaged goods at Chelsea. Now, when you look at it, Mikel Mourinho, Califuri, Sterling, they do technically address areas. They provide versatility. You know, Mikel Mourinho can be an eight and a six. California can play centre half as well as left back. Sterling can play all across the front three, and all of them could easily, all when fit and when the time is right, be left-hand sided additions to make us left-hand sided. We all know if we don't do it on the right-hand side, we're in issues in that regard. I do think, you know, fans take statements and get excited. But when Edu makes several statements about the proactive approach, how he reads over 180 pages on single players, Mikel Arteta has said time after time we have one of the smallest squads. Has our squad depth improved? For me, we've brought in some great additions individually, and they got, I guess, more players to Arteta to trust with. But it does feel like we've gone 10 steps forward and then 10 steps back. So we're ultimately in the same position, if I'm honest with you, really. As I said, the net spend for us is going to be positive. Where you look at PSR and FFP and things of that ilk, I wouldn't say Arsenal are under immediate danger, but it doesn't help to be proactive and look after that. We had a net spend of anything, some reports say 19 all the way to 22 million quid, people. Regarding the academy, where you look at Owen Asomoto, a young goalkeeper that's not signed a scholarship and went to Aston Villa. In similar fashion, Chido Obi Martins, who's expected to play for Manchester United soon. Koza Joubri and Walters, they all left for free. So we have to take that to a tribunal. I'm not necessarily happy with the fee we got for Brook Norton Coffey. I think 3.5 million is liberties, considering he's played over 100 times in the Championship. But it does go down as 100% profit. And in similar fashion, Charlie Patino. Where I look at it, though, and I'm not going to begrudge the club for not necessarily getting your first choice targets, because, you know, we tried to go over Mudrik and we got Trosser. Fair to say that worked out better for us in hindsight. But I think we found ourselves scrambling over the goalkeeping situation. I feel like where you look at the Athletic talking about Benjamin Sesco, we had an inability to get that. So you would argue we failed to get a striker that we wanted. We failed to bring in Nico Williams, who in reality was probably third choice in the sense of it was probably stay at Bilbao or sign for Barcelona. So where did that go? Where you look at Jocorez and Osserman, there wasn't any tangible proof that Aston were going to move for them beyond fanfare and them being strikers. So I won't get at them for that. But I would hardly say we're a significantly better side. I think the XI improved the squad. And you look at it with the amount of games that we've got in the injuries. I don't think we've helped ourselves personally in that regards, people. You know, the main thing is, you know, we've addressed all areas and we do have some good additions, but we failed to get our first choice targets if I'm honest with you. And I don't think Arteta is happy with the squad that personally, you know, big up Edu and those that be for the contingency plans in place. Went after several keepers, were able to get Neto, couldn't bring in a winger, got Sterling. You know, you did get Mikel Mourinho. He was your first target, you know, Cesco, Nico Williams, Joan Garcia. These guys did not arrive, but it is what it is. We all know where Arsenal's concerned. There's an overarching strategy for this summer to raise the level of the squad, to trade in players for superior replacements. Thus, if not necessarily lifting the ceiling, but lifting the floor and ultimately giving Arteta more reliable players to work with. Last season, the minutes were largely shared with the same old 11 to 14 max trusted players. I don't know if we've actually, you know, got more in that regards if everyone's fit, but I'd love to know you lot's thoughts. We can't get away from it, people, you know. Sustainability matters. A necessary part of us was to sell players. And I think in that regards, ultimately it's got it done because the bank balance is positive really and truly. The decision makers at Arsenal never shifted away from the club wanting to be run responsibly. And when you look at the last two windows excluding this year, the lavish expenditure had to kind of be addressed in that regards, people. And also you'd imagine Arsenal are also mindful of the increased regulation around spending. The club obviously have a skilled team of lawyers and accountants to help us monitor such. Arsenal's desire to sell this summer was known, people. It's well known that agents were acting as third parties to get our players away. And where you look at a number of our sales, you know, we haven't done it all because nobody's done it all. But I think we've done okay in that regards, you know, the several players that had no future here, you know, the vast majority have gone. Of course, you've got a couple hanging around the club, people. In my opinion, the club clearly wanted to balance the books, but this could have, but this could have and should have been a season, in my opinion, of signalling intent. I rate not signing players for the sake of it, but is that really an excuse where it's evident the area's Arsenal need to improve? And it does wonder how far are we from having the squad that we need? You know, how close are we to exhausting our options? Of course, don't get it twisted. We need to improve the existing players and marry them with some quality. For me personally, I'm happy with Sterling, but I would have loved a more long-term model in where versatile attack is concerned. I would have loved another midfielder, even though I think in addition to what we have already, as well as Moreno, that was probably naive and they did, you know, David Rye was always going to be made permanent. Raheem Sterling's here and I'm excited about California signing. So ultimately I would give the window a six out of 10. I think it's a mixed bag for me. I think majorly, you know, we've looked after finances and got some important fees and got a positive net spend. Not that you can bring profit or net spend off the bench to help with our debt for in the games. I do think technically we've addressed all the areas, but you are wanting more. It feels like we've done five good things and 10 bad things and you're left wanting more. I wouldn't say any Arsenal fan is 100% convinced negatively or positively, but I would love to know you lot's thoughts on the window as a whole. Is it one where you look at Edu with an enhanced reputation? Do you think we have the squad that we need at our disposal? I would give it a six out of 10, but I'd love to know you lot's thoughts. On that note, smash the like button, comment and subscribe. Peace.