The magnitude of the signing of Mezut Ozil cannot be understated, especially with a club like Arsenal. Renowned for last minute dealings, deep in the heart of France for an 18 year old future wonder kid, Arsene Wenger has finally bucked the trend of recent times and spent a vast sum of money on a proven world class player. This marquee signing has sent shockwaves around the world, in particular in Madrid with many players questioning the reasoning behind the selling of arguably their second best player. This signing will not only add an un-measureable amount of quality to Arsenal’s side but also sends a message out, that Arsenal are no longing a selling club and now have the financial capacity to compete with the top clubs in Europe.
This begs the question what next for Arsenal? Will Ozil’s transfer spark a domino effect or will the Gunners remain faithful with the team that has performed so admirably towards the back end of last season and the start of this one. Giroud seems to have been given a new lease of life this season without the burden of another striker at the club whilst Ramsey has hit the form of his life because of the amount of game time he has been given. All of this has cumulated into a resurgent start in premiership for Arsenal,who lie top of the premiership, (not the start many critics had predicted after the opening day defeat to Aston Villa). However many fans and critics still feel that Arsenal need to strengthen in the central of their defence, midfield and attack if they truly want to start competing for the title again.
The January transfer market is where many fans would like to see Arsene finally let the reigns loose with the transfer budget. Despite the constant pressure from fans Arsene is tactically astute in the transfer market and knows the problems that are synonymous with the January window. Many clubs who are struggling at Christmas will take a chance. These clubs will sign an abundance of players in hope rather than expectation that they might change the fortunes of the club. Some may hit the ground running but most will take time to settle especially if they are from abroad. Taking time to settle in is something that Spurs fans might have to become accustomed to for a while due to the influx of players that have joined the club in the summer window. Undoubtedly some of them contain star quality, but they will take time to get used to the style of play AVB wants to play.
One or two players however may aid Arsenal in the quest for a trophy. Too many new players on the other hand may hinder the natural balance that is underlying within the team. Demba Ba is a realistic loan transfer target for Arsenal. His pace and natural strength have been wasted at Chelsea and after publicly expressing his desire to leave Chelsea he should be one of the main transfers that Arsenal go for this summer. The Senegalese front man could provide cover for Giroud and wouldn’t break the bank with his current 80k a week contract at Chelsea. In addition Daniele De Rossi is another name that would strengthen the team massively; the natural born leader would add resilience and in addition would compliment the technical ability of all the other midfielders at the club. The highly capped Italian international may be 30 but his plethora of experience in the central defensive midfield position would blend perfectly with the attacking style of Arsenal.
Arsenal fans may not get what they want in the January transfer window but they might get something better, a few clever signings who settle into Arsenal immediately and add to the ever increasing chemistry that is emerging at Arsenal. That’s true jubilation.
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Photo by Kieran Clarke