Touch wood these latest two players (Lucas Perez and Mustafi) will be confirmed shortly, which will almost certainly round up a transfer window that saw us spend close to £100m, pretty incredible really.
What do you think of our window? For me, it's been pretty unpredictable whilst somehow at the same time being exactly what most people thought it would be! I'm really not convinced that £100m could not have been used more effectively in improving our team
Granit Xhaka - £35m
Think he will be a useful addition, looks a good, tidy player but I really do not understand why we needed to spend this amount on a CM.
In Coquelin and Elneny we have two defensively minded mids who provide excellent balance and options whether they play on their own or together. After that we have Cazorla, Ramsey and Wilshere competing for those two spots - even without Xhaka probably the best combination of central midfield players in the league. Bizarre.
My prediction - Success but doesn't improve the team to the value of 35m..
Takuma Asano - £4m
Who knows? Problems already, though, with his work permit application being rejected. Will almost certainly go on loan
My prediction - Flop.
Rob Holding - £2m
Looks like an excellent bit of business - a fifth of the price of Chambers and taken all of 90 minutes to jump ahead of him in Wenger's centre-back choices.
My prediction - Success.
Lucas Perez - £17m
Suspect this might be one of the surprise successes of the summer. Whilst his 17 in 36 ratio last season has been mentioned numerous times already, there are plenty of factors why he could fit right in at Arsenal, who have been crying out for a better option through the middle ever since Giroud's debut.
My prediction - Success.
Shkodran Mustafi - £35m
As a player, his credentials speak for themselves. As a signing, not convinced. Was there really not a better option for this price out there than Mustafi? This sort of figure, putting him in the top 5 most expensive defenders ever, should be reserved for that very top level of players, and it's pretty crazy that he's more expensive than Mats Hummels.
My prediction - Success but overpaid massively.
Predictions on the signings?
posted on 26/8/16
^
posted on 26/8/16
comment by Phoenix - The Best Number 10 (U7144)
posted 0 seconds ago
^Theskins
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posted on 26/8/16
comment by Chris H (U15205)
posted 36 seconds ago
"or players that aren't good enough like Coquelin or Elneny."
Who thinks Coquelin is not good enough? You do seem to like making things up to support an argument.
In fact if anything, Arsenal fans probably overrate Coquelin
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I've seen plenty of people here who think he isn't good enough.
posted on 26/8/16
And he probably isn't tbh. Certainly not good enough that he can't be improved upon.
posted on 26/8/16
comment by TheSkins (U3865)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Chris H (U15205)
posted 36 seconds ago
"or players that aren't good enough like Coquelin or Elneny."
Who thinks Coquelin is not good enough? You do seem to like making things up to support an argument.
In fact if anything, Arsenal fans probably overrate Coquelin
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I've seen plenty of people here who think he isn't good enough.
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He isn't really is he?
posted on 26/8/16
Every single position in our XI can be improved upon. It's about which needs it most. It certainly wasn't CM, where we now have 6 pretty good to excellent players competing for 2 positions.
Whereas on the wings we have what? Sanchez and assorted dross.
Really don't get why we spent 35m on Xhaka. I'd say CM was the last position we probably needed to improve.
posted on 26/8/16
comment by Chris H (U15205)
posted 1 minute ago
Every single position in our XI can be improved upon. It's about which needs it most. It certainly wasn't CM, where we now have 6 pretty good to excellent players competing for 2 positions.
Whereas on the wings we have what? Sanchez and assorted dross.
Really don't get why we spent 35m on Xhaka. I'd say CM was the last position we probably needed to improve.
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I agree. A central midfielder was the last of our worries. However, I did somewhat understand it given players who can;t be trusted, a need to seriously improve on distribution and control in that position (I think Cazorla is on the way out, Wilshere is never fit and the rest of our midfielders are tidy without actually being able to assert control of that middle third). We really didn't have a player like Xhaka, so he's a signing I really have no problem with - just as an aside and to be really hypothetical for a moment, imagine a midfield pivot of him and a fit Diaby (i.e. the one that played in that win at Anfield 6 years ago). It would probably the most balanced in the league.
We really do and did need a huge improvement in the wide positions. I know we can;t compete with Utd for wages, but surely we could have pushed for Mkhitaryan at the price he was snapped up for or really gone for Mahrez - we're in desperate need of creativity ferom the wings and, like when Hleb was with us, a wide man able to take playmaking duties away from Ozil in times of need. As usual, however, we're still short.
posted on 26/8/16
Xhaka - lot of money that could have been better spent elsewhere
Asano - to make money in Japan. Unlikely to make first team
Holding - Good value for money
Perez - Doesnt look an improvement on what we have. Should have thrown money at this position instead of Xhaka and maybe Mustafi
Mustafi - Should be a good signing but with Kos, Per, Gabby, Holding, Chamber, Debuchy, Monreal and now Coq who can play CB a luxury signing when money could have been better spent on a striker.
So although the players coming in may be good players for us the main issue to be addressed has been avoided again. Giroud, Akpom, Walcott and when hes back Welbeck are all not good enough for a title challenging team and I dont expect Perez to be with his career history.
posted on 26/8/16
I'm not saying he was a bad signing at all, Herbie, in fact I think he'll be very good by what I've seen from him
Just seems a bizarre position to spend big money on is all. If Sanchez gets injured, we are basically facked for wide players. Left with Walcott, Ox and Iwobi, and then a couple of players who "can play there" in the same way Mertesacker could probably play there.
posted on 26/8/16
We do still look like lacking goals. Especially if last years tallies are anything to go by.