It's no Partey but what of the future
By Matty Sadler
November 30 2020
Last night's miserable failure against Wolves has turned Matt Sadler's mind to what should be done in the future to rebalance this team.
Arsenal's best three players this season have been Gabriel, Partey (admittedly one performance against United but yeah...) and Saka. That's our two main summer signings and a wonder kid who is only going to get better. This might mean nothing, it might just be a coincidence, it might even just be that we haven't ruined them yet, but it might mean that there is a transfer strategy in place. A glimmer of hope. Martinelli is on his way back as well. That's another positive. Gabriel, Saliba, Tierney, Partey, Saka and Martinelli are the only one's I can say for sure are long term. Maybe Leno as well, maybe some of the other kids, but those six for certain.
In summer 2021 Mustafi, Ozil, Sokratis and Luiz's contracts will all be up - that'll free up almost £700,000 a week in wages. Summer 2022, Lacazette, Kolasinac, Chambers and Elneny's will be up - that's almost another £400,000 a week freed up. Summer 2023? Aubameyang, Leno, Bellerin, Xhaka, Willian and Holding- that's nearly another £800,000 a week freed up. You never know, we might be able to shift some before their contracts expire, but absolute worst case scenario over the next three years (AT MOST) we'll free up nearly £2 million in wages. That's massive, and that has to be the end of it (side note: brilliant, I've looked three years into the future and Cedric and Pablo Mari are still here!).
We're meant to be a self-sufficient club on a Europa League budget, so please, no more bumper £300k p/w contracts for the 30+, no more hanging on to players for too long, and no more Chelsea pensioners. The reason we are in this mess is because for years and years our recruitment has not been good enough. We've either tried to do things on the cheap, spent poorly or left ourselves short in 2 or 3 areas, and this goes right back 10 years and more. The transfer strategy in place needs to be correct for our position and our budget. We are a glorified mid-table side at present. Don't get me wrong, we're still an attractive club. Partey proves that.
I'd like Arsenal to be looking (fairly) strictly at:
1) Super high potential teenagers like Guendouzi, Martinelli and Saliba.
2) Quality, proven first teamers in their early 20s for bargain fees like Leno, Torreira, Tierney and Gabriel.
3) The occasional "can't fail superstar" like Partey, when and where we can.
And this needs to be all while providing a genuine pathway into the first team for our best academy products and youth signings, who we are blessed to have a lot of. Forgetting any discussion about quality for a second, the difference in attitude, body language and work rate (wish I could've thought of a word beginning with C) in say a Reiss Nelson, just desperate to make an impression, and most of our senior pro's is startling.
Young. Hungry. Exciting.
We currently have a number of players recruited under a number of different managers and directors. Last night that was quite visible. No cohesion or style. The players we bring in need to fit the manager's vision. No more just hoping that someone else's Champions League cast offs (Lichtsteiner, Sokratis, Lichtsteiner, Luiz, Willian) will be enough to get us back there.
Depending on what happens with Saliba we may need to find Gabriel's long term CB partner. Bellerin is poor, Cedric is a squad player at best and AMN has dropped out of favour again, so we need a RB. Aston Villa's Luiz-McGinn-Grealish-Barkley midfield showed up just how sub-standard our's really is in comparison, while Wolves last night showed just how weak and slow we look in a "pace and power era" (while we're on the topic of Wolves, that's what a set, planned transfer strategy can do!). Bar Willock none of our midfielders have the ability to offer ANYTHING going forward. We don't score enough or create enough chances as a side. Lacazette isn't physically up to the Premier League and you can make strong cases against all of our wingers. These are the issues we need to address. Unfortunately this isn't doable in one, or even two windows.
The Athletic said, in August, that Arteta and Edu identified our midfield as a weak point and wanted to improve us at #6, #8 and #10 - we only signed Partey, which obviously isn't good enough (going back to what I said previously about leaving ourselves short). This would be my starting point. Everton at the start of the season showed the difference transforming your midfield can make. I mean, Allan-Doucoure-James would've been a great window for us! I know, I know, hindsight and all that...
Arsenal need to get the next couple of transfer windows right or it is only going to get worse. Regardless, I'm afraid there will be more evenings like last night to come.