A year ago, Arsenal fans were treated to one of the most memorable deadline days in history. Arsene Wenger shattered the club transfer record and brought in Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid, but there was no repeat of last years drama this time around.
Arsenal have become accustomed to being linked with big names recently, so the ‘breaking news’ that Danny Welbeck had joined the Emirates was underwhelming to say the least. Welbeck is a good buy though, because at the moment Yaya Sanogoals is living up to his unfortunate nick name.
At Manchester United, Welbeck was usually deployed on the left instead of his preferred position at center forward. At Arsenal, his wish will be granted and could yet blossom under Arsene Wenger. At just 23, Welbeck joins an already strong core of British players.
People were understandably upset after the transfer window closed. Danny Welbeck was not what they wanted, but this is nothing new from Wenger. While most fans prefer to live in the moment and focus on the most readily available sources of banter, Wenger is always thinking about the future.
From Wenger’s point of view, he has a few reserve players who he’s willing to bet can challenge for the first team within a year or two. Isaac Hayden is an excellent example of a young player Wenger rates very highly.
Hayden possesses the exact skill set that Arsenal fans have been calling for; he’s a big and physical center back who can play defensive midfield too. In the market, Wenger must weigh whether or not he wants to pay a transfer fee and dish out long-term contract for a player he reckons is already at the club.
Serge Aurier looked Emirates-bound early on in the transfer window, but Debuchy’s signing proves Wenger knows what he’s doing. With Bacary Sagna gone, the attractive option would have been to bring in the speedy Ivorian. However, Wenger has Hector Bellerin coming through the ranks.
Bellerin impressed at the Emirates Cup and could make the right back spot his for the future. Two years from now, Bellerin will be 21, Debuchy will be 31, and Carl Jenkinson will have picked up two years of premier league experience. This is the best and most recent example of long-term plans being executed by Wenger.
More immediately, Arsene Wenger is putting all the trust in the world in Calum Chambers. Deemed ‘one for the future,’ Chambers is making his mark already at Arsenal. His mistakes will become less and less frequent the more he plays. Chambers offers cover in the defense and the midfield making his immediate value very high at Arsenal.
Had Olivier Giroud not been injured, Arsenal could very well have not signed anyone on deadline day. For who was available, and considering the business completed already, it isn’t too surprising that Arsenal ended up securing just Danny Welbeck.
As a fan of the club myself, I was adamant that the boss needed at least one signing of a defensive player, whether it be in the midfield or back line. The cruel nature of being an Arsenal fan however, is that Arsene Wenger doesn’t do it your way. He does it his way, and this could be the best explanation for the lack of action in North London yesterday.
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