For the most part, when February strikes, the official Arsenal blip has caused the sides title challenge to come crumbling down after much positivity and optimism.
Revitalising Plans
With injuries galore hampering the Gunners progress, it has been suggested expletively to Arsène Wenger in the stands that he should spend some…money.
However, with the record signing of Mesut Özil last summer revitalising the first-team squad, it seems as though the clubs hierarchy have changed their mind of the direction of which they must acquire players.
This season has seen the management continue in the same vain, but even though Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy and David Ospina have joined, there is still a major gap within the team.
Mind the gap
The gap is not seen as a hole within the first 11, but missing ingredients in the squad to make sure the club can compete in all four competitions for the upcoming season.
Time and time again, key first-team players have got injured, resulting in makeshift, low quality players to have to fill in for their place, often ending up in below par results on the pitch.
This year, Wenger has decided that enough is enough and that having two quality players in each position will do the trick.
Laughing stocks
Calum Chambers has been linked with Arsenal in the past few days, BBC reporting that a medical has taken place and that the Southampton right back will join the club for a £16 million fee.
Supporters ridicule the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool for signing unproven players for high sums of money and this is a deal that looks a clone of their Premier League counterparts.
With Debuchy set to start games next season, shouldn’t the limited money at Arsenal’s disposal be spent on the position that lost them the league last season?
Waiting for fruition
Olivier Giroud is prone to inconsistency, while Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski cannot be seen as out and out strikers ready to lead the line against Jose Mourinho and the rest of the league’s attacking threats.
AC Milan claim that Mario Balotelli would be available for around £16 million, the same type of price that Chambers is being valued at.
Theo Walcott and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain cost similar, but one cannot claim that their long-term investments have come to fruition just yet.
Even though it is encouraging to see an expensive and quality squad forming, shouldn’t we focus on improving the first 11 when the season is less than three weeks from kick starting?
Ticking the boxes
A player like Balotelli would tick the boxes. He would be value for money, a position that needs strengthening, he would get people flocking into the Emirates for the new campaign, all wearing their new Puma shirts with his name on the back.
His high wages would be earned back by merchandise revenue instantly and with Arsenal’s sponsors keen to tie their player into the Gunners brand, they will pump more money into the club as a result.
Arsène Wenger claimed in 2007 that, “you only win big trophies with big players.”
If this is the case, then it is important to invest in the ‘top top quality’ players that can win Arsenal the league next season.
You can’t win anything with substitute right-backs
Sir Alex Ferguson could tell you and show you that you don’t win leagues with expensive substitute right-backs.
Big name strikers however can take you all the way and make a club the world-class outfit that they all strive to be.
Spending big money for a quality squad is a step forward that is for sure. But is it the right direction in the quest for trophies next season?
Have your say - Spend £15M on..
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