It’s morning everyone.
It’s Friday. Mikel Arteta is scheduled to give a press conference ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup tie with Manchester United. To be honest, not much happens. I don’t think I need to write any more about Arsenal needing a better attack and everything that comes with that. But if you’re jonesing for that problem, Tim’s column this week might have something to offer you. necessary.
I think it’s worth considering that, as Tim pointed out, it’s not as simple as going to the store and coming home with a new star attacker. Transfers are complicated. There are so many aspects to consider regarding a player’s quality, personality, suitability for the team, adaptability if they are from overseas, etc. These are all things that we as fans think are much more trivial. Better than a club. They have to weigh everything and then spend huge amounts of money on transfers, wages and bonuses. We just want to see someone hit that new smash from 30 yards.
I’m sure Arsenal have goals on the proverbial whiteboard, but how many are realistically possible in January? You can reward players by paying them over the odds, but is it the right thing to do if it affects other business you want to do in the next window? What is the opportunity cost if you gamble to win something now but it prevents you from doing so in the future? It’s difficult. Because football is a game where long-term planning and strategy are absolutely vital when running a club, yet everything is judged incredibly short-term.
Top-level talent at positions that people want to see spending money on this month are often unwilling to leave mid-season because they are generally doing well where they are. This may mean a cheaper investment in a young player with the potential to develop, but how much can you expect that player to contribute when the second half of the season really heats up?
That said, if we do make one (beyond any kind of loan), it seems like the most realistic arrival would be this month. The celebrities we’ve been linked to seem to be more or less untouchable during January, so if there’s a young person we’ve got our eye on, we might press that button in the ‘small’ club and wait until the summer to do bigger things. . At that point we may need to fill the gaps in the squad currently occupied by Leandro Trossard (who has a year left on his contract and a decision to be made there) and Raheem Sterling (loan expires, returned to Chelsea). From a planning perspective, it fits well with the overall strategy.
One might say that Nico Williams, a player who has been on the roster for a long time, is available because he has a release clause that we can activate at any time. This is true, but the clause is closer to €60m and must be paid in full. I think Arsenal have the money to spend, but I would be surprised if they could do so without any help from the owners. As you may remember, we did this for Thomas Partey, but there have been a lot of behind-the-scenes changes since then regarding our finances. Some of it was because of COVID, but others were about making sure we didn’t make mistakes. This is because the existing regulations basically funded the KSE to raise cash.
Add to that his wage packet of £300,000 per week (or so) plus signing fees, agent fees etc and I think we’re looking at a figure closer to €100m, which seems unlikely in January. Needless to say, with his club doing well in La Liga and doing really well in the Europa League so far, is there any chance of him leaving in January? I would be surprised.
Anyway, watch me say this again when I said I wouldn’t. To be clear, I still really, really, really want Arsenal to sign someone in January. I am eager for the team to improve as there are still trophies up for grabs and shouts of victory, but I am conscious that it is not always easy. Maybe the market itself is changing and throwing up some opportunities. I’ve seen stories about Hvicha Kvaratskelia moving from Naples to PSG. (Even Liverpool are reportedly interested in how adding him to their already impressive attacking line-up could mess with people’s brains.) But it could be a domino deal of sorts. Other players become available. Maybe it’s for rent. Let’s see.
A report came from somewhere else. ESPN Brazil This links Jorginho with a move to Palmeiras and suggests a move could even occur in January. But this is very vague, and I can’t see Mikel Arteta approving of it, even if his role is peripheral these days. Now we need more involvement, not just anyone else.
Okay, I’ll leave it there for now. We have some content for you on Patreon. Yesterday I spoke to Czech journalist Martin Vait after a story linking Tomas Rosicky with the position of sporting director. We talked about his work at Sparta Prague, and more. Plus we’ll be previewing the United game in a preview podcast coming later this afternoon.
For just $6 per month, you’ll get instant access to everything we do on Patreon. patreon.com/arseblog.
Have a good Friday, everyone.
