There has been a lot of hue and cry after it emerged that indeed Arsenal wasn’t going to strengthen in the January transfer window. For a team that scored just one goal in January, was dumped out of two competitions and has generally been lightweight, a lot of transfer activity was expected.
However, Mikel Arteta and his Director of Football at Arsenal, Edu, opted to be smart about the transfer window. Literally, the duo threw caution to the wind and instead of strengthening the team, weakened it even further, looking at the exits versus incoming player(s).
Of course the transfer activity at Arsenal will divide attention but one thing that remains debatable is how Arsenal is going to fare in the second half of the season.
It is without a doubt that with their main striker gone, Arsenal will rate lower across the previews on SportyTrader but a constant here will be the winnings available in the shape of welcome bonuses and the bookmakers comparison reveals some available around. Betobet, for example, has a welcome bonus of up to €100, same to ShangriLa and Melbet while Pin-up bet comes around with one of the biggest – up to $500 in bonus for new signups.
From a business perspective, Arsenal have done quite well in bringing down the wage bill and will go to the final five months of the season much better financially. The biggest win for them is the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, which saves the Gunners about £25m in wages, as he was on £350,000 a week.
Whereas Arsenal haven’t banked anything in Aubameyang’s transfer to Barcelona, they will consider it good riddance for the player who has been a pale shadow of his best days. In 12 starts at Arsenal, Aubameyang was only able to score four goals and create one assist this season. Tactically, and in the dressing room, he wasn’t helping much, while his disciplinary levels weren’t good enough for the highest paid player.
Arsenal have also saved a lot in the transfers of senior team players, Sead Kolasinac and Calum Chambers, who were among the well paid but with very little game time. Kolasinac featured twice and started once – in a calamitous performance as the team suffered a 5-0 loss to Manchester City. Calum Chambers had two appearances, both starts, and he clearly needed a fresh start elsewhere. The financial details of his move weren’t even disclosed.
Ainsley Maitland Niles was another player released but only on loan, which will serve both parties right. He had eight appearances, making two starts. Unlike the other three, he holds good promise and can still do well at Arsenal in future. The same applies to Pablo Mari, who also left on loan.
In reality, Arsenal are only playing in the league, and there wasn’t the need for a bloated squad, of players who are not even in consideration when injuries and suspensions strike. As it is, Arsenal have 18 outfield players, a number good enough to contest for the remainder of the season, but it is expected they will spend well in the summer.