Now I’m not certain what the terms of deal made with Mikel Arteta was, why would I be ? But there is a familiar picture forming as we approach the January transfer window.
Word has it that Arsenal are going to be adding to their hotchpotch squad with up to four new faces but before we get excited, let’s look at an area that ultimately cost Emery his job.
The previous coach was unable to fashion a functional team out of a host of talented individuals, who were added by the management structure, not the coach. Rumours at the moment suggest that Arsenal and Arteta are looking at Daniele Rugani as a solution to their defensive problems.
Hold on ! wasn’t he a target last summer when Arteta was in the dugout snuggled up to Pepe and Emery was wishing us all a ‘good ebbening’ ?
Which begs the question. does Arteta like the player who was a whisker away from signing last summer or is it the wish of Raul and Edu ?
There’s another rumour that Arsenal may table a bid for Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid) Hold on ! Wasn’t Lemar a target during the Wenger era ? Actually, yes, back in September 2017. Mmm, Raul and Edu ?
RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano is once again on the radar to plug the holes in defence, another long term pre Arteta target.
Finally, the Sun suggests that Wilfred Zaha could be another target for the gunners in the summer … hold on….. well, you get the idea. Now either the media are just recycling names that have been previously linked with the club or those I’ve mentioned are rotating in the heads of the Arsenal hierarchy without consulting with their new coach. Surely the Spaniard didn’t agree to that ?
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There are a few new names just to keep the rest of us interested such as Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng, which doesn’t feel like a genuine Arteta target.
Sevilla midfielder, Antonio Zarzana, feels slightly more like a genuine candidate for a role in the Arsenal revolution, along with Merih Demiral (Juventus) and Dejan Kulusevski (Palma) but Arteta may have to use a hypnotist to persuade the Krankies (Kroenke’s) Don Raul and Edu the Brazilian contortionist to part with the type of cash required to attract this trio.
I genuinely hope that Arteta is allowed to put his own stamp on Arsenal because ultimately, his reputation and coaching credibility rely on success. If he has just signed to run Raul’s private dream team, what exactly is the point ?