Arsenal is no longer the London club associated with frugality. The Gunners are making money moves in the transfer market, a signal of their new status and a marker of their return to the UEFA Champions League. It is an interesting time to be an Arsenal fan, and as it seems, Mikel Arteta has managed to convince the club management to buy into his ideas. The Gunners boss has already brought in two major signings, sanctioned one key departure and matters aren’t about to end yet in their pursuit of top quality to aid in their push next season. The Gunners are seriously looking to build on their near miss in the Premier League, while all written in this is a quest to end Manchester City’s dominance in England. First of all, it is always key to have your major targets early enough, and Arteta has achieved this, going into preseason camp with all his top signings. On the sidelines of their preseason camp in the USA, Arteta hinted that he will still be in the market for at least one more player.
Major targets
Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice were the major targets for Arsenal, and talks to that effect were done, with utmost urgency. With over £200m paid for just the three signings, Arsenal are clearly deviating from the past, and accepting the changing times. To be able to compete, quality and depth are key, and this is just what impeded Arsenal last season. Arteta is clearly learning from that and he isn’t repeating the same mistake. Spending a lot in the transfer market also comes with an implication on the wage bill; it means that goes up too, and this is a commitment from the management that was earlier seen as not too keen on investing in the team. The message from Arsenal is quite clear, and the management will be expecting a lot more from Arteta and his charges. The betting community too, will have high expectations and some of the best betting tips found on www.cheekypunter.com should reflect the same when the Gunners finally get their season underway.
Able to compete
As at the moment, Arsenal is expected to be able to compete without further additions to the team. But the demanding nature of the season ahead, with the Champions League and Premier League getting prominence, Arteta staying active in the transfers makes sense. There are special qualities the three new signings bring, but they also unsettle some other players already in the squad. For example, Rice’s arrival coincided with talks of Thomas Partey being courted by a Saudi club. The Ghanaian is surely set to share minutes in the role if he is to stay at Arsenal. Being 30, Arsenal may feel sanctioning his sale is a good idea. That, on the back of Granit Xhaka having already left, could however mean Arsenal go into the market again, for cover. The other one is the case of Folarin Balogun. After a fine season in Ligue 1, Balogun is a target of a number of clubs, and Arteta may want to cash in one the youngster, as he doesn’t seem to have a lot of issues in attack for the coming season.
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