Mikel Arteta says he’s pleased with the transfer business the club have done in January, having pulled off late loan deals to add Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares to the squad.
Unlike last season, we’ve added a couple of defenders at a key point in the campaign, and both will add depth as we try and finish as high in the league as we can while maintaining our interest in the FA Cup and the Europa League.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash with Burnley, the Arsenal manager sounded content that some additions had been made.
“We’ve been trying to be active in the market to resolve some of the issues we’ve been going through in the last few weeks,” he said.
“We found two players that we believe can be very useful and improve our squad, obviously with the resources we had as a club.
“I am happy for two reasons. We believed that we couldn’t strengthen the team a little bit in some areas with the financial situation that we have, but as well, four weeks ago I was very concerned with some of the departures and we’ve been able to manage that so far.”
Arteta spoke about what he expects from the experienced Soares, and also outlined his reasons for bringing Mari.
“For me, it’s very important,” he said.
“He balances what I want to do from the back line, he gives more options, more solutions, he opens up the pitch more.
“Again, he’s a player that we’ve been following for the last few months. We are really happy to have him.”
Looking good, especially Mari.
Woul have liked to see a strong DM too but it is January, so less going on.
Brings some more hope on top of the improvement already seen in the team recently.
I hate to use the whole internal solutions thing, but AMN prefers to play in midfield and given his experience as a RB he might be able to spell Torreira/ be part of a 2 holding midfield base when needed. Both can do more than just sit in front of the defense as well due to their offensive backgrounds. Given the types of players we really would like to go after long term were unlikely to be available (or only at crazy prices) I think this was a reasonably good transfer window. We picked up a backup RB/LB in Cedric… Read more »
Agree. Every player is raising their game under Arteta. AMN had good midfield qualities but lacked urgency and reliability.
Just like Xhaka did.
Just like Luis did.
Just like Saka did.
Let’s give him the opportunity to play in his favoured position because I think there might be a quality midfielder in there…
You mean “strong” in the mould of Ansley Maitland Niles? I hope Arteta is thinking what I’m thinking.
Victor Wanyama is for sale apparently, not sure Spurs would have agreed to sell him to a rival but I always rated him and he would be a decent and relatively cheap option to boost the DM.
I won’t trust AMN in midfield. He has improved but one mistake in that area of the pitch and its curtains. Its far less forgiving than fullback. Probably he will deputise at rback or maybe Lback if Kolasinac continues to struggle. Cedric can play both fullback roles which also means Sak can be pushed higher and Martinelli can switch to right wing if Pepe continues to flatter to deceive. What we should have done had we ambition was to outbid Dortmund for Emre Can (they got him for 19m quid) That would have given us a real DM with experience… Read more »
Drugs are bad
Yep I think Can would have been a decent signing – again on loan with a view to purchase in the summer.
OMG.Emre Can.
And – as we now know – Emrey can’t.
The eternal optimist Santori strikes again. Why on earth would we sell Torreira?
If he wants to leave, as was rumored earlier in the season, we can’t really stop him….. I would have liked Emre Can as a back-up to Torreira though, not a replacement.
I Understand the window is never easy, but Man Utd, Sheff Utd, Wolves and Spurs have strengthened, United significantly. We’re 10th and the teams above us have spent quite a bit. I think we’ve penny pinched again with gambling on a journeyman defender and a right back who lost his place at Southampton. We’re becoming an average team, fading into mediocrity. How are we ever going to get back on track like this? Our best player Auba, should and probably will leave at the end of the season so unless Martinelli can score 30+ goals we’ll continue to flounder around… Read more »
So you’re a glass half full kinda guy then…
Other teams aren’t potentially good, they are good already. Our youth players have potential, but theres never any guarantee. We’re becoming a team hoping Martinelli can come good, hoping Arteta can take us up the table, hoping Guendouzi can become a star, hoping Lacazette can start scoring.
So hoping that the new manager you hired will take team up the table, your exiting youth players will come good and become stars and your experienced striker will start scoring again is somehow too much to expect too turn around our fortunes?
exciting*
I agree with Chuffy though… its also in many ways a numbers game and if you heap on quality, you put yourself in better stead. BOTH SPurs and United have strengthen with very strong (potentially) players in Bergwyn and Fernandes. They will compete for 4th spot with Chelsea maybe take 5th. City and Liverpool are uncatchable, Leicester depends on Vardy issue and if they tank in run in from now…If they do we may be able to sneak into 5th or 6th But considering we are 10th, we have added some practical players bc of our defensive issues but nothing… Read more »
I like to see youngsters come through the ranks. I like the fact we have a manager who is saying the right things and seems to have a workable, communicable plan.
I like seeing teenagers setting the team alight and sparking fans to something other than “[insert least favourite thing here] out!”
I like a bit of hope, me. I’ll take it.
It ain’t called ‘hoping’ mate… it’s called ‘supporting’ – look it up.
United have bought one player and its ‘significant’? They still lack a goalscoring threat up top.
Spu*s haven’t really strengthened either, as they’ve brought in one player and lost one (probably their best midfielder), as well as making a loan permanent.
Wolves and Sheff have brought in some players from outside the league which have potential, but are still unproven.
Man Utd have Rashford, Martial and potential in Greenwood. All of them are under 24. We have a 30 year old, a 29 year old and an 18 year old. We have no creative midfielders, hence our lack of goals. So yes Man U spending 60 million kn a attacking midfielder is significant. Have you looked at the table recently?
Yeah, I have – United are a whopping 4 points ahead of us, and trending nowhere, while our new manager has instantly improved our squad both individually and collectively. I’d bet anything we finish ahead of United. In fact, hold my beer…
They’ve bought a really good player. Fernandes is something-else.
Lets not try and blow bubbles up our arse.
Spurs are lacking a striker but Bergwyn also looks very solid.
Yep – just like Pogba was. Have you not yet cottoned that the best player on the planet won’t perform if the manager doesn’t work magic… fish rots from the head an’ all that?
We have thus far not been able to bridge the whopping four points and lets not forget there are also 3 teams ahead of us also chasing United…
Plus we could not even get past Sheffield or Palace.
Arteta is over 5 matches in now and we are still in tenth.
So yes, we can catch United but its still a lot to be done.
Yes – Mik has had FIVE whole matches and a number of weeks! And all he’s facing is:
rebuilding shattered motivation in a number of pivotal players
sorting out the pathetic mess our previous ‘manager’ made of the captaincy
upgrade the Sunday league kick-arounds that passed for match-fitness ( another legacy of training in a cloud of confusion, lack of communication and player buy-in)
trying to untangle a bird’s nest of crossed wires and conflicting ‘tactical innovations’ left by the clueless numpty that was Emery
You – natch – could sort this in a single training session, I suppose?
Well said goonshow. Obviously someone who understands football. I know it’s all about opinions which I respect but some you read on here beggars belief.
This one statement alone shows why it is a complete waste of time debating with the guy. To expect ANY manager on the planet to come in and immediately turn all the shit into gold is so unrealistic it defies belief!
Let’s face it, some people LOVE to wallow in misery and that strangely enough is when they’re “happiest”!
Are you the doctor that gives people the bad news?
It’s the Santori and Chuffy happy hour. ???
Eddie, Willock, Reese and Smith Rowe, of course, don’t exist in your neat frame of negativity?
what are you on about
Newcastle about to be taken over by Saudi oil money so they’ll be spending more than £100m in the summer, and Everton likely to financially back Ancelotti this summer. Next 5 years are gonna be interesting times.
Please explain how those clubs have strengthened so much better than us. We have brought in a central defender and a right back.its not always about the amount of money spent.
Here’s an idea: screenshot your above comment… make it the wallpaper on your desktop… wait 3-4 months… then read it again, once Super Mik has bedded these players down, knitted HIS structure together, repaired Emery’s half-baked fitness levels and reclaimed our Arsenal-way playing style.
Then take yourself off up the road to Spuds, there’s good fella.
He sounds happy sure, but he also made it a point to mention financial constraints several times! Gives us a glimpse into how tight-fisted the higher ups are.
This is the issue many here prefer to pretend does not exist. We have not prosecuted our transfers well over several seasons even since wenger had relinquish the role. Some good buys but also some puzzling ones. Last summer Pepe and Saliba (PLus Luiz bc we bizarrely attempted to extend on Koscielny) cost us a whopping 105m seemingly a good deal bc the former two were made on installments but that back loading carried risk particularly if we did not make CL again this season… That’s a tune of 20m each window already spoken for which means the pot available… Read more »
Dude the last few years of Wenger running transfers brought you:
Mustafi (35m made him one of most expensive defenders in the world)
Perez (20m – sold for 5m or less)
Xhaka (30m) – playing better but given we could have gotten Kante for the same this was not a good investment
& allowing Sanchez, Ramsey & Ozil to run their contracts down
Wenger was a great servant to the club but player contracts & transfers were a complete shambles the last few years
Add Szczesny for a mere 10m (to replace Buffon)…
Not to get into the whole how much we should spend thing – but this summer we bought Saliba (25m), Luiz (8m), Pepe (72m) , Martinelli (7m), Tierney (25m) with only selling Iwobi (25m), Kos (5m). Even with Ramsey & Cech leaving we still have the 5th highest wage bill in the whole PL.
We’ve spent a ton of money the past few years on contracts & new players – we just haven’t spent it well.
Iwobi 25mil? nah they said 38
I’ve read 25. 38 I think is with bunch of add ons like Everton making cL etc. either way we’ve spent a lot the last few years but have been terrible at selling players so our net spend is high
We have been so bombarded with the claim of a “financial situation” in our dear club many of us have come to accept the lie that Arsenal aren’t one of the richest clubs in the world.
Great job kroenke! Can’t wait for the day you pack your things and vanish from our dear club!
But we have dropped down the rankings quite a ways down now.
It could get worse.
Then again, it could – and probably will – get better.
I wouldn’t hold your breath!
love to be owned by a billionaire but have a “financial situation.”
Would be interesting to know what departures he was concerned about.
Auba probably.
Aubameyang, Torreira, Xhaka, Ceballos, maybe Ozil. Just my guess.
Likely Aubameyang will be the big ticket we have to buy to finance purchases bc we are commited to paying for Saliba and Pepe still next window to 20m tune. Ceballos is a loan deal so we don’t get any money saved wages freed up. Unlikely to sell Ozil(wages too high). But he is in last season under contract. Maybe Xhaka or Torreira may still leave. Lacazette is not a given either on account of lack of CL and French squad. We run major risk of being hollowed out on quality and risking on project youth and combination of practical… Read more »
I think we should have shown more ambition and competed with Dortmund for Emre Can. He’s going to them for 19m, a steal for a player still barely in his prime. We could have done with some rotation through Torreira and Granit even with Guendouzi showing good promise. Plus he could have covered Cback as well negating need for Mari even, That said, how much influence we could exert to swing him away from a return to Germany these days in questioable. In the past Wenger relied on his Deutsche skills of persuasion and Per to do the heavy leaning.… Read more »
As far as additions are concern, they are more practical ones than scintillating. 1) Mari comes in to add assurances in depth. Sokratis, Holding and with Luiz shortly returning frankly makes 4 Cbacks notwithstanding Mustafi so I’m not sure how short really we are in numbers… More so, he just needs a cheap throw of the dice (Since Mari is on loan) bc none of our Cbacks are the full article. 2)At Lback, Cedric I think its as much an issue of concern for Kolasinac’s fitness as it is for the erratic performances from Pepe. Saka will likely be pushed… Read more »
Santori should be writing the articles not Blogs.???
Read the room bro
That deaf, dumb and blind kid, sure plays a mean pinball!
Santa – I think you should just change your nick to Read More…
So our defensive options for next season could include Soares, Mari, Salaba, Tierney, Holding, Luiz, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Bellerin, AMN, Saka and Mustafi. Cannot remember a squad with such defensive depth for years. Let’s finish as high as possible this season and the future under Arteta looks bright.
And Chambers…
Retaining Ceballos should also not be played down. We are in need of added capability in midfield. One injury to either of Granit or Torreira would again risk upset of the fragile balance recently re-achieved in the engine room linking the attack with defense and vice versa. Guendouzi also showing promise again taking in instructions from Arteta recently but we need one more to rotate through deep end of midfield or with Ozil in the hole. Particularly as the German is (as wenger knew) a 50-60 minute player, it would be useful to have options beyond the ambitious but young… Read more »
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??
Arseblog when did you become one of the major sponsors? ,”Visit Arseblog” – behind Arteta’s head.
😉
Frankly Sanlehi is in charge with transfers. Arteta has a limited say and limited clout. Unai could have put his foot down more and had more of a say last summer IMO. BC Sanlehi did not resolve a couple of issues for Unai at Cback and in midfield plus added a high ticket item in Pepe which wowed the fans but probably doused the hunger in the player.IMO we had better options in Ziyech or Fekir. In effect Unai was playing the team with one hand tied behind his back (like Wenger) never mind both men’s tactical flaws or mistakes.… Read more »
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I just read the Emery interview about his sacking.
This illustrated part of the problem – his command of English had a lot to be
desired.
I am glad to read that after the fans revolt against him he is now feeding
himself.
What an odd thing to have said…
Absolutely correct.The only thing he said that made any sense was that Ozil doesn’t influence games anymore in the premier league.Something that our fan base surely cannot deny.
I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel the need to visit Arseblog.
“Some of the departures” feels telling… I wonder how close Aubameyang or others were to leaving…
The Renaissance has just begun.
I trust in MA, but it seems Newcastle had a bid accepted for Soumare, but the player refused to leave. 45m.
Offer that and he’ll probably end up a gooner.
Get your wallet out Stan. FFP is no excuse. They don’t do anything. If they do it’s after 20 years of transfer abuse where he can go back.
How do I visit Arseblog?
Arteta has made an important point about the departures.. Convincing Torriera and Xhaka to stay was the major outcome of this window from his perspective..I dread to think what would’ve happened if Emery was still there..
And we gotta be realistic about any major signings.. having signed Pepe, were we ever going to sign someone this window? I’ll keep my expectations for the summer, thanks.
Blogs and everyone else that is calling soares, stop please. Call him Cedric.
It’s what’s on his shirt since forever and what he likes to be called. Obviously.
If we make Mari permanent and then a fully fit Saliba is ready for the start of next season, we might be on to something in defense.