JoeI hate deadline day and everything its become, so whilst I’m a little underwhelmed I’m glad its done. From an Arsenal perspective it was a fairly quiet deadline day but we finally got a right back and a few players moved on. Gone are the days of the trolley dash in this new financial world we’ve found ourselves in. Let’s take a look at what we’ve done.
The Outs
Yesterday saw two outgoings (although it should have been more). Hector Bellerin finally got his move back to Spain as Betis swooped in and took him on loan. This has been on the cards for a long time. He never really re-discovered his form after that ACL injury and the Premier League is a harsh mistress when it comes to those not up to scratch anymore. However, he’s always been a fan favourite on and off the pitch and if nothing else you have to respect someone who uses their platform to address social issues the way he does. You’ll be hard pressed to find an Arsenal fan who doesn’t wish him all the best.
The other deadline day departure saw Reiss Nelson leave on loan for Feyenoord. I think this is a good move for all parties, he needs to be playing football and the Dutch division provides the perfect platform for him to remind everyone what he’s about. Those who follow the Eridivisie know that it can be a combative and challenging league so I think this will be valuable experience for him and hopefully will give him options when he returns next season.
Aside from that we all know that Joe Willock as sold to Newcastle and I understand that move again from all perspectives. Once more we all wish him well up north. Elsewhere the big departure was Willian. I’m not buying for one second he somehow did us a favour tearing up his contract but I’m glad to see him move on. His move was undoubtedly one of the worst the club has ever done. No more please!
The Ins
I’ve been very vocal about the need for a right back for some time now and it looks like someone was listening. The new boy comes in the shape of 22 year old Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna. I won’t pretend to know much about him other than what I’ve read but it sounds like the club have been tracking him all summer, battling off that small club from Middlesex in the process. He’s tall, fast, can use both feet and can play either CB or RB. There are various profiles out there but for those who like statistics this gives you an idea.
It has been very clear from all the clubs signings this window: Tavares, Lokonga, Ramsdale, Odegaard, White and now Tomiyasu that there is a drive towards youth. All of those players are under 24 and there is so much scope for them to grow into. The early signs from what we’ve seen have been encouraging on the whole. But its now up to the man in charge to get them signing from the same song sheet.
The Should Have Been’s
The most disappointing and frustrating aspect of deadline day and the window on a whole was the lack of departures. Aside from moving on Joe Willock and Willian, none of them have been permanent. I appreciate the market is weak at the moment but the fact that we still have: Kolasinac, Elneny and Nketiah kicking around tells you all you need to know. Ontop of that: Bellerin, Runarsson, Torreira and Nelson (I’m sure I’m forgetting some) are all out on loan and with the only exception being Nelson, their futures lie elsewhere.
With rumours beginning that Edu is already on thin ice, this won’t have helped his position much. Clearing the deadwood was equally as important as getting players in and we’ve basically kicked the can down the road. Not ideal.
The Future?
So that’s it then, the window is done (in terms of incomings). This is our squad until January at the earliest. Whilst it’s great to see a defined move to bring in young talent, this is still a results business. 0 points, 0 goals scored, 9 conceded is our worst start in living memory. A full window, a full pre-season, his team. There are simply no more excuses for Mikel Arteta, he must arrest this decline and it must start against Norwich.
Until then, let’s all try to get through the international break.
COYG!
-Joe