Initially I would of said January given how obvious our need was for players. The more I think about it I'm leaning to the summer window. We clearly didn't do anywhere near enough and I think what we have done was really poor. If money was an issue then the way we've spent it was atrocious. I think I'm going to call it now Merino was a really bad buy. I like to give players especially foreign players time to adjust but I've seen enough he's simply not suited to this league, far to slow and you've got to ask questions why this wasn't picked up when he's was being scouted. Califiori is a little different I think there is a decent player there but in reality he's not done enough for me to say wow I'm glad we've brought him in at the expense of a number 9 or a meaningful backup to Saka. We've just added him to the other five or so left sided defenders we've already got. Lastly and probably the worst Sterling he may of been the least expensive of the lot but my word what an abject failure it's been. There have been times where I've felt sorry for him but on reflection I don't think he's been dealt a bad hand he's had enough chances to try and rebuild his career that has been stuttering for at least the last couple of years. I wouldn't be surprised if an early retirement isn't far away he just looks devoid of any footballing ability now.
It's true in this league if you standstill for a moment even just one window you can fall behind and ultimately those in charge now are going to have to pay a penalty this summer because it's going to cost a lot more than it might have done if they had done even half of what was needed last summer. It looks like we are going to limp over the line, if reports are true the new director of football will be in place soon and hopefully he will be given complete autonomy on anything football related.
Which window was worse summer or January
posted on 10/3/25
comment by Robb #456 (U22716)
posted 2 hours, 35 minutes ago
I remember debating some arsenal fans who thought a theoretical £80-90 million for Watkins was not worth paying. If you’d paid that and were sat here maybe 3 points behind Liverpool instead of 15 would you really be going on about cost?
Your club lacks ambition and your transfer window showed that.
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While doing nothing in the Jan window was atrocious from the club, we shouldn't need Watkins to score against West Ham at home.
posted on 10/3/25
Villa sold Duran, would have taken ridiculous amounts to get Watkins from them.
It was very unlikely we would win the league at that point, so to buy a striker for massive money who wasn't a first choice makes no sense if it stops us getting an A-list striker in the summer.
Considering the financial mess your own team is in, I would have thought there would be some understanding and sympathy about a club not chucking masses of money at a player who would be back up in 5 months.
posted on 10/3/25
comment by Admiral Ozil is my new favourite Star Wars character (U10178)
posted 3 hours, 38 minutes ago
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 15 minutes ago
Some Arsenal fans need a reality check. Arsenal still in progress and setbacks are included.
We suffering from injuries and some refs clown decisions that hampered our season massively.
People want Arsenal to buy at any cost and moan after when it doesnt pay off about to much deadwood at our club.
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I don't think that's true. Just look at January I doubt there were many who expected a well known attacker to come in at big expense but to not even do a loan was just negligence pure and simple. To say Arsenal are still in progress ok how long will they be a work in progress for? The manager has had five years. I'd give him two years of the five to clean up the mess which credit to him he did but that leaves three years where he's failed to get over the line. Time is running out for him.
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Some really have to stop to play FIFA. The January transfer window isnt ideal for buy a player let alone a striker. Watkins is a good player but no....60M+ for a 30 year old striker who score 10 goals a season?
People seem to think that Arteta is a massive tool who hasnt got a clue. You dont get Isak in January for peanuts ffs.
posted on 10/3/25
Whoever transfer window the club decided to bypass Edu when it came squad planning...that's the one
posted on 10/3/25
comment by Robb #456 (U22716)
posted 4 hours, 8 minutes ago
I remember debating some arsenal fans who thought a theoretical £80-90 million for Watkins was not worth paying. If you’d paid that and were sat here maybe 3 points behind Liverpool instead of 15 would you really be going on about cost?
Your club lacks ambition and your transfer window showed that.
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All very theoretical thinking. At the end of Jan we were still 6 points off Liverpool with them having a game in hand. No doubt we would have been in a better position than we are, but would signing Watkins have been enough to bridge that gap? Personally I am not sure and we've then just spent £70-80m on a striker that was never the number one choice
posted on 10/3/25
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 hour, 24 minutes ago
Villa sold Duran, would have taken ridiculous amounts to get Watkins from them.
It was very unlikely we would win the league at that point, so to buy a striker for massive money who wasn't a first choice makes no sense if it stops us getting an A-list striker in the summer.
Considering the financial mess your own team is in, I would have thought there would be some understanding and sympathy about a club not chucking masses of money at a player who would be back up in 5 months.
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I would’ve loved Watkins for, say, £40m (allegedly what the club offered for him) but wouldn’t have wanted us to go much above that.
Agree with everything else though. And, if anything, it could be argued we’ve learnt from the Lacazette/Aubameyang situation - an expensive mistake we were forced to live with for 3-4 seasons.
posted on 10/3/25
In answer to the OP, the summer one was worse. However, like every window, it takes months to know whether a window was a success or not.
Making Raya permanent was obviously a huge positive. Calafiori looks a player, but one who we need to give time to (he’s still very young). I understood the thinking behind Merino, but the thinking hasn’t translated into doing yet. And Sterling has been really really bad.
Having said that, with so much work (surely) to do one the squad this summer, I would have expected at least one signing could have been brought forward to January.
posted on 10/3/25
The 2 Summer signings were fine.
Calafiori was needed. We didnt know Skelly would step up and if he didnt we would have been left with Zinchenko/Tierney/Kiwior and Timber as our LB Options.
Considering Tierney and Zink are always injured it was a no brainer.
Merino been ok, nothing special.
Problem was not signing a CF on top of these 2.
posted on 11/3/25
comment by BO$$™ (U6401)
posted 13 hours, 39 minutes ago
The 2 Summer signings were fine.
Calafiori was needed. We didnt know Skelly would step up and if he didnt we would have been left with Zinchenko/Tierney/Kiwior and Timber as our LB Options.
Considering Tierney and Zink are always injured it was a no brainer.
Merino been ok, nothing special.
Problem was not signing a CF on top of these 2.
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We clearly did know MLS was close though, hence why he was getting minutes. So having Timber > Zinchenko > Kiwior > MLS for one position was surely enough, not to mention KT.
Merino has been poor, couple of goals here and there aside I can't really think of a single good performance he has put in in midfield. Looks a really poor call by the scouting team.
I think Havertz run of form last season covered up the desperate need we had for a striker, at times he did look really good there so going out and spending £60m plus on a player maybe not that much better than him and that would need time to settle probably didn't feel like the right call.
I do think if a top, top forward had become available we would have moved but they didn't. In hindsight its been the wrong call, hopefully they learn and do better this summer
posted on 11/3/25
MLS only got minutes because Cala, Zinny and KT were all injured. Then he proved himself.