Arsenal: Half of John Hartson transfer advice wise

John Hartson has urged Arsenal to sign Romelu Lukaku and Virgil van Dijk this summer. Only half of his advice is wise, though, and this is why.

The summer transfer window is here and every man and his dog has an opinion on who Arsenal should or should not sign, myself included. John Hartson is another who has offered his own opinion on what Arsene Wenger, assuming he stays which is a fairly safe one to make, and the club should do.

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Hartson, as a former Gooner, suggested that Wenger, to appease the fans, needs to be highly active in the transfer market, investing heavily in a few select players:

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"“What would appease the supporters is if he brought in some really big names and he makes a statement then by saying, ‘Well, we’ve got a strong enough squad.’ Say, for instance, Romelu Lukaku becomes available at Everton, £60m, whatever it is. Van Dijk for example, £50m. ‘Arsene’, the fans are saying, ‘Please be in for these players.’ Don’t be £5m out, blah, blah, blah, whatever it is.”"

Half of his advice is wise. The other, not so much. A star striker is certainly one of the key needs that must be addressed this summer. And Romelu Lukaku would satisfy that need. The Everton striker has been heavily linked with an exit to one of the elite Premier League clubs throughout his time on Merseyside thanks to his consistent goalscoring excellence. The price, and the competition for this signature, would be steep. But he may well be worth it.

The second name that Hartson proposes is less of an inspiring option. Although Virgil van Dijk is an excellent player who is deserving of a move to a top club this summer, centre-half simply is not a position of need. With Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi as the established starters, supported by the experienced depth of Gabriel Paulista and Per Mertesacker, alongside the presence of Rob Holding and the return of Calum Chambers, adding another body, however talented, simply doesn’t make sense.

That is not to say that Hartson’s overarching point should not be abided by, however. Wenger does need to make a statement with his recruitment this summer. There needs to be a splash, a significant addition, a big name addition to refreshen a stagnating squad.

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But it needs to be the right name, and while Lukaku would be all well and good, if Wenger were to blow his budget on the wrong player, like van Dijk, for example, then it would be detrimental no matter how much he spends. Spending is important, but only if done right.