Debunking the myths surrounding Arsenal’s January transfer window

On this site and other platforms, there are a lot of angry Gooners at the moment. The mood is shifting. What you can do to impact change is difficult, but the tide is turning in terms of faith in the manager, owners, and players. Some are questioning Arteta’s ability to adapt his tactics, while others feel the Kroenke family has, yet again, proven that when it matters, they are scared to take that next step, content with the way things are. They, of course, would prefer to be champions, but it’s not everything to them.

Some of my peers, though, still defend the last transfer window. That baffles me, especially since deadline day, we have only scored in one of our four fixtures. So, evidence is happening right in front of our eyes that not improving our attack was not a good idea. If only someone had said numerous times that we were short up front and needed help. After all, having a decent attack is important in football.

Sport, however, is all about opinions, and because so many of us are hurt, let’s not lose sight of that. When giving your point of view, it’s not about who’s right or wrong, it’s about wanting the best for Arsenal.

So, respectfully, I will attempt to debunk some of the theories that still persist as to why we didn’t make any signings last month and even why that made sense.

A lot of this spin comes from the club itself, so let’s not try to challenge some of these points.

We Don’t Know Arsenal’s Financial Situation

Now, okay, factually, I have not had access to Arsenal’s balance sheets or the Kroenke family’s bank statements. Yet, based on most metrics, it’s safe to say Arsenal make a lot of money. Financial experts even popped up on YouTube last month to confirm as much. The club shares a TV contract worth billions, earns maximum revenue from UEFA, will get a further 12 million for advancing to the last 16 of the Champions League, charges some of the highest ticket prices in the world for home games that are mostly sold out, and releases constant merchandise. Their net spend on transfers in the last three windows is approximately 25 million (that’s being kind and not counting the loans with obligations to buy). So, put it this way, if we were struggling to find any cash at the back of the sofa… where has it gone? This was also the season they managed to give Mikel Arteta a pay rise as well. Not a small one either. Our manager is now the third-highest-paid coach in the world. Funny how the Gunners are only tight-fisted in certain situations, isn’t it?

We Only Wanted The Best?

Some Gooners point to the fact that a bid for Ollie Watkins proves we were open to doing business but didn’t want to spend for the sake of spending. Some of my peers contradict themselves. If they believe our interest in the Aston Villa striker was genuine, then how can they argue in the same breath that we had little money to spend? The majority of our fanbase questioned the legitimacy of the offer, though, and you have to ponder why so many people formed the same opinions so quickly. It’s because we’ve seen this tactic before. Arsène Wenger used to spout the company line that behind the scenes staff were working relentlessly to recruit, but the policy was the club would only be open to someone who could improve what we had. Mr Wenger would be adamant the club would not be peer-pressured to do business just to tick a box. Then the Frenchman would say they tried, but we needed to understand how rare it is for a world-class player to be available in January. His former captain tried the same PR trick last month, but thankfully most saw through it. In a sport where unofficially all parties talk off the record, if Watkins really was desired, we would have researched months ago whether he was open to leaving Birmingham, what was the asking price, and did we agree with the valuation? If you think the quote is too high, you then move on to the next name on your shortlist.

Your First-Choice Targets Were Not Free In January

This is the point that gets lost. Gooners understood that the likes of Sporting Lisbon are not going to want to offload their best player in the middle of a campaign. That would jeopardise their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. So, they would want to be compensated for the potential missed revenue from UEFA to justify doing so. It’s an open secret that a Benjamin Sesko (believed to be a long-term target) has a gentleman’s agreement with Leipzig that, in the summer, they won’t stand in his way if someone offers 60 million. From a business point of view, it’s understandable that you would be cautious about paying over the odds for a few extra months’ work when you can get that asset cheaper if you just be patient. Klopp was once praised for being willing to wait for VVD instead of looking elsewhere. Yet, the Gunners didn’t need a world-class striker. It would have been nice, but the priority was improving what we currently had. The criteria wasn’t to find the best finisher in Europe, it was to search for someone who is a superior goal scorer to Kai Havertz. Bring in someone to compete with a Trossard and Sterling. At the very least, an individual with enough quality to give us an alternative off the bench that was more creative than full-backs. In our manager’s own words, “We are short up front and need help”. Based on that criteria, options existed all over the place. We know that based on the transactions other clubs were able to make.

The Injuries Caught Us Flat Footed

It feels like a lifetime ago now, but even when Saka, Havertz, Jesus, and Martinelli were all fit, many felt we needed a striker if we wanted to catch Liverpool. It seemed the club had already formed an action plan that they would wait until the summer because they identified who that player was (possible Sesko?). So, they didn’t factor in having to play the rest of the campaign without essentially their first-choice front three. Gooners have empathy that we have been victims of bad luck with such devastating injuries happening in the same position. If all of that happened in March, more would sympathise that it is a valid reason you lost ground in the title race. Yet, the whole point of the winter window is for managers to be able to fix any issues with their squads. Lack of form, lost confidence, player wants to leave, injuries! Like, I don’t know… your best attackers needing surgery? Or how about… someone who could replace him ruled out for the next year?! If only evidence existed that this was an issue. Evidence such as two cup ties at home where you’re not turning possession into chances. For two decades, this is the month to care for any wounds, even if it’s a short-term solution. Effective practice means a manager hands in his shopping list and a shortlist is waiting for him because, for months, scouts have been all over the world reporting on possible targets. They don’t just do that in the month of August and January but all year round. At least they should be! I’ll remind you, these are not doing Arsenal a favour. They are not helping out of their love for the badge. They are men and women being paid thousands of pounds to do a job and are meant to be the best in class because millions of pounds are at stake. So, if they are truly suggesting they didn’t have time to find anyone, then this line of work is not for them.

Clubs Don’t Sell Their Best Players

I wouldn’t want Arsenal to pay over the odds if they can get that player cheaper in the summer and certainly never flirt with breaching FFP rules, but there is evidence that if you’re aggressive in the market, you can get your way. Eintracht Frankfurt were adamant there wasn’t a price they would entertain for Marmoush last month because it would put their top four place in the Bundesliga under threat. Man City didn’t accept that answer because to be a big club, you act like a big club. The difference with their owners and ours is that Sheikh Mansour has standards that he won’t tolerate falling below. So, when the champions of the last four years fail to meet his expectations, he demands Pep Guardiola tell him what resources are needed to make sure this does not happen again. Employer helping employee! A novel concept?

Who Was Available?

So, Man City were able to get Marmoush for 59 million. If we were so aware of the ongoings at Villa (we were not), then what about Duran, a younger option than Watkins? It’s an open secret that Napoli want to cash in on Osimhen, hence he’s on loan in Turkey when it easily could have been North London. If Galatasaray have the ambition to try and negotiate, why can’t we? In the terms of their arrangement, Napoli was allowed to call the Nigerian back in January and send him elsewhere. Leipzig turned Xavi Simons’ stay permanent. He had been out on loan for years from PSG, so Arsenal easily could have also negotiated. Feyenoord were content to offload their striker to AC Milan for 32 million, even though they were playing them in Europe! PSG invested 70 million into Kvaratskhelia, adored at Napoli. Malen moved to England for 25 million, Wahi was snapped up for 26 million, Jonathan David is out of contract this summer, Celtic accepted 10 million for Kyogo. Man United were not denying rumours that they were putting feelers out for Rashford and Garnacho. So many sources said Chelsea wanted to get Nkunku off their wage bill. All of these names are surely better solutions in attack than a teenager, a player on loan who’s lost his confidence, and a midfielder.

Let’s pretend though we have zero money...

So, let’s pretend for whatever reason Arsenal don’t have enough money to pay any fees last month. Right or wrong, let’s go with the notion that the club has been ordered only loans are allowed. For the benefit of this list, let’s say the recruitment strategy is to wait till the summer. So, only loans are allowed. So, were there any players you could borrow that are better than what we have, could compete with our attack, or give us fresh options off the bench?

Kolo Muani – no obligation or option to buy. Although Juve is trying to extend the loan until next season.

Morata – zero obligation/option to buy in the summer for 8 million or extend the loan for next season.

Rashford – zero obligation/option to buy for 40 million.

Asensio – No obligation or option to buy.

Ferguson – no option/obligation to buy.

Tel – no obligation to buy/option to buy for 45 million.

We Can’t Loan From Another Prem Club

Currently, Arsenal have two players on loan from another Premier club, the maximum you’re allowed at one time. It’s unclear if we had the option in any deals to send back a Neto or Sterling early, so let’s assume that option didn’t exist. What you could have done is make Neto’s stay permanent. By the summer, the 35-year-old would have a year left on his contract, so how much money would Bournemouth truly want for someone not part of their plans? All parties could even have arranged a scenario where his contract was ripped up, the Gunners taking the remainder of his deal and turning his loan into a free transfer. Arsenal have released several of their own talent over the years to facilitate moves. You may ask why would we want to make a keeper who’s played once for us his stay permanent? He’s comfortable in his role as an experienced backup keeper. If anything happens to Raya, you can trust he’s replaced by an experienced pro who knows this division. Plus, you’re only going to have to recruit a second-choice goalie in the next window anyway, which again will be some sort of loan. Why not have done it in January, which allows you to then loan a Rashford? The juice is worth the squeeze.

We Are Saving Money For The Summer

Talk about not reading the room, because as you may have noticed by the general reaction, Gooners are not happy. From a PR point of view, our owners will be advised to do something exciting in the summer (probably in time for the launch of merchandise). The issue for the Kroenke family is it’s so baffling to just give up halfway through the season, I’m not sure any kind of business you do in the next window will compensate for waving the white flag in the middle of a title race when you’re still in Europe. Even if a world-class forward arrives in North London, the problem is the 20 clubs in the division all start back at 0 points. You might not have another season in a while where Man City are this bad. Even Man United and Chelsea will eventually throw enough money at it to come back again. It could be years till we only have a Liverpool to chase. Letting the moment pass us by does the team zero favours long-term. Mikel Arteta and his players will start the next campaign under intense pressure, which would not have been the case had we at least tried this year. I feel the Emirates in the last few months has gone back to the bad old days of it not taking long for anxiety to spread around the stadium. That will only grow. I believe the likes of Saliba will not extend his contract and will view this period as the moment it proved his employers’ lack of ambition.

The truth is there is no excuse because you cannot defend the indefensible. Our reality is we are controlled by someone whose business model is to make money off the brand. He picks franchises big enough to have in his portfolio where you don’t have to win trophies to sell shirts or tickets. It’s been the strategy since 2006 when he first joined our board, and his power has grown ever since. Fans stick up for him because some think the definition of a supporter is to always be positive, which ironically is toxic and damages the club further. Others don’t want to admit the truth because it’s painful. I get that, if you say out loud the reality, where do you go from here?

That’s why this winter window hurts, because it went past the point of even the most optimistic person being able to justify your actions. Arsenal’s season was bleeding. Our campaign was struggling for oxygen. Our dreams were on life support. We could have been helped, but they chose not to. You had the medicine in front of you but didn’t care enough to open the bottle. The ability and resources to save us but chose not to.