Between now and 25 May, Arsenal will rely more on Kai Havertz than they wanted.
The transfer window of January was supposed to bring lighting to a gunners team affected by injuries in attacking areas prior to a discouraging task of catching Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
Instead, it teased, it was teasing it, and in the end it disappointed for various reasons without income, only flirting.
It lets Baas Mikel Arteta pray that his only fit striker in Havertz will stay so until their last prem game from the campaign in Southampton. An unmistakably huge risk.
Reach the Champions League final in Munich, and the German will be needed again six days later, after he has already started 29 of Arsenal's 37 games in all competitions so far.
So what happened this month? Why did Arteta opt for something for nothing with his team that staggered on the edge of collapse?
The injuries
Bukayo Saka who needed a hamstring operation just before Christmas after hiding during the 5-1 victory in Crystal Palace On December 21 was a big blow.
But the turning point of this entire window for Arsenal was the ACL fracture of Gabriel Jesus against Manchester United in the FA Cup third round on January 12 – most of 2025 him.
Before that time, Arteta was completely happy to wait for Saka's return at the beginning of March, safe in the knowledge that he had two strikers in Jesus and Havertz to bear the burden until then.
But the contraction of the Brazilian was the turning point. From there, Arteta and the hierarchy of the club switched to potential goals, but it is fair to suggest that they were already catching up.
Casino Special – Best Casino Bonuses of £ 10 deposits
Summer plans
With time, Arteta revealed on various occasions that plans for the summer may have to be brought forward to get the right man in January.
That came with complications. Tens of millions would be added to every summer target that they wanted to bring six months earlier by selling clubs.
The Arsenal manager also suggested that he had received “no guarantees” that their summer side would not be affected by a winter edition.
As a result, it would not be worth spending money on a “body” in the short term because of that it would hinder what they wanted to achieve in the low season.
With about £ 50 million already put aside to bring in the real Sociedad – midfielder Martin Zubimendi – because of the end of contracts for Jorginho and Thomas Pareny – there was not much Wiggle room, especially after selling Kieran Tierney or Oleksandr Zinchenko month .
And then there was the extra blow of Jesus' injury – a player Arsenal could have been sold in the summer to discharge his high wages for a replacement, but which is now probably out until Christmas.
The decision was made not to be financially reckless, especially with a domestic loan from the questions after temporary summer agreements for Bournemouth's Neto and Chelsea's Raheem Sterling.
Come in the summer, in the big plan of Arsenal, they will now have options and financial maneuverability when it comes to a new No. 9.
Missing Edu
This window would always be difficult, especially without the man who had gone through and continued so much of the club in recent years.
Edu resigned as a sports director on November 4-one huge blow to Arsenal's opportunities to recruit in January, his Aura and a smooth-speaking nature in meetings with players and agents.
It also only came a few days before a crucial recruitment meeting in LA with owners Stan and Jose Kroenke.
His number 2 Jason Ayto came in as an interim sports director, convinced that they could flush without EDU, rely on a leadership team of Arteta, director Richard Garlick and executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis.
This seems to have failed a counterproductive, where Arsenal is inadequate in this window when it came to timing and decision -making, while Ayto's lack of experience and market Nous was clear.
The replacement of EDU is ready for the summer, an appointment that cannot come fast enough.
Too long on large goals
Arsenal was prepared for the possibility of needing a striker. The problem came to decide how to push far and when to take a step back.
The case of Alexander Isak was simple. Arsenal and Arteta strongly judge the player, but it was thought that it was no chance that Newcastle would let the Swedish star go, while their transfer rating of more than £ 100 million was steep, even for a summer bid, let alone January.
But it can be argued in Benjamin Sesko that Arsenal has spent too long deciding whether he should stick or turn. The Slovenian striker – assessed at around £ 60 million – is one that they have focused on the summer.
Sesko, 21, has a men's agreement with Red Bull Leipzig that he can leave at the end of the season, after he has missed the chance to join in the previous period after signing a new long -term contract.
Arsenal investigated him this month, but realized that Leipzig was incredibly unwilling given their own top four Bundesliga -Push, and demanded around £ 80 million to even consider it.
By the time Arsenal accepted the defeat, it was at the end of January, making them options elsewhere.
It must also be pointed out that Arsenal has also spent time focusing on other functions for the future, including trying to convince Rosenberg midfield sensation Sverre Nypan, 18, to choose North Londs instead of Spanish side Girona – a deal that has not yet been tied up.
The Watkins teases
Arteta often spoke to being prepared with a list of goals, and different from those with a final bid for someone from the Blue would show that they were desperate.
But when Arsenal was informed of the openness of Aston Villa to sell Ollie Watkins, 29, mid -January, an approach of £ 45 million was made nine days later.
It was quickly shot by Villa. They wanted £ 60 million, while in North Londs they saw that as too big for a player who turned 30 this year.
It was hoped that Villa's PSR concerns would see them Buckle, only for Jhon Duran to be sold to the Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia for a fee that could hit £ 71 million.
How conscious Arsenal of the future of Duran was when the approaching of Watkins is unknown, but perhaps something that the club – including Ayto – should have considered in spending valuable time on the negotiations.
Desperation also came into play when the name of Alvaro Morata came up very late on the day, only for Galatasaray to show more conviction for the 32-year-old from AC Milan.
Nwaneri's turnout
Arteta has been looking for a Saka replacement on the right wing for several weeks now and goes one by one to find the best solution one by one.
Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling have all been tested, but it seems that Ethan Nwaneri has proven the Arsenal boss why he doesn't have to splash the money.
Since the start of the new year, the 17-year-old midfielder has scored twice in the prem-inclusive a curling beauty in the 5-1 demolition of Manchester City-and once in the Champions League.
All three goals have come from the right – an invaluable option to have, an option that Arteta could not have predicted that he would possess in view of the inexperience and youthfulness of Nwaneri.
Who knows, the injuries to Saka and Jesus are perhaps making Nwaneri in an Arsenal shirt, and he didn't cost the club a cent.
Comments