Arsenal: 10 Massive Things We Learned About Gunners In 2016

10. Wenger sees the teams needs

That’s right, I said it. For many, many years Arsene Wenger has been criticized for not being able to identify what his team needs. I’ve done some of that criticizing. There is no reason why a high-profile team like the Gunner’s should have a massive vacancy at the base of the midfield for over a decade.

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But that’s what we had. With the departure of Gilberto and Vieira, Arsenal never saw to replacing them. The void was left open and unclaimed and it left a plush core that often decimated the Gunner’s title aspirations.

Over the past few summers, we have begun to see that Wenger is not as allergic to spending as we thought. In particular this last summer, where he addressed all three major needs in one fell swoop.

In Granit Xhaka, he found that steely core to partner with Coquelin and make an actual, fearsome midfield duo.

In Mustafi, he found needed defensive reinforcement that turned into a monumental signing, with Rob Holding providing added depth.

And in Lucas, he found a striking option to provide diversity.

Speaking of buying, let’s hit on something else we learned.