Arsenal risk resting on their laurels with lack of summer signings.Arsenal have been here before: mistakes in the transfer market have seen the Gunners miss out on the necessary signings to fill the gaps to make them great. After ending their wait for silverware in 2013/14, it would be a big mistake not to capitalise on this new-found positivity around the club.
Last summer’s club-record deal for Mesut Ozil lifted the north London giants to heights they hadn’t felt for some time, making them genuine title contenders for much of the season and helping them to glory against Hull City at Wembley. Even if Ozil himself didn’t exactly reach his best form and struggled for consistency, the effect his presence had on improving the likes of Aaron Ramsey in particular cannot be underplayed.
The German international, who will be in action as his country take on France in the World Cup quarter-final this evening, was not, however, the most essential addition to an Arsenal squad that was already blessed with a number of high-quality options in the attacking midfield department, and it is arguably Arsene Wenger’s dawdling over potential deals for the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Luis Suarez that cost his side the crucial ingredient they were lacking in pursuing a successful title chase.
Arsenal now need a good transfer window to ensure they can plug the gaps that still remain (and new ones, such as at right-back with the departure of Bacary Sagna) whilst also continuing that positive feeling generated by Ozil’s arrival and resulting trophy win. Despite getting the silverware monkey off their back, this is not a squad that can afford to rest on its laurels; no team can afford to do so, and that is all too evident from the work already done by champions Manchester City in the transfer market.
Chelsea have also been busy, making two potentially world class signings in Diego Costa and, most painfully for Arsenal fans, Cesc Fabregas. They only narrowly finished above Arsenal last season and have no trophy victory to boast of, but they already look in good shape to leave the Gunners trailing in their wake in 2014/15.
For Arsenal, there has been plenty of talk as usual, with big names such as Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal and Juan Cuadrado being mentioned, while even just the likes of Loic Remy and Mathieu Debuchy would probably do the job. The pair would not likely cost as much as the other names mentioned, and that is the absolute minimum Arsenal fans have a right to expect from a club that claims to be ambitious.
Wenger has been guilty of using success to cover up for his sides’ flaws in the past, and it could even be argued that he didn’t do the best job of making the required adjustments to the 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’ squad that won the title unbeaten. This current crop of players is a long way off that squad, and the competition is a lot fiercer as well.
The current speculation is all very well, but these big-name transfer links need to start turning into reality fast for Arsenal.
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