Arsenal: Grading January transfer window moves

Arsenal, Henrikh Mkhitaryan — SWANSEA, WALES – JANUARY 30: Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Arsenal warms up prior to the Premier League match between Swansea City and Arsenal at Liberty Stadium on January 30, 2018 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Arsenal were major players in the January transfer window, making a number of high-profile, significant moves. So, here are the grades for their winter business.

Arsenal have been very busy in the January transfer window. Given the make-up of their squad, the impending exits and the growing pressure on Arsene Wenger and the club in general, they were always going to be. And now, a little over four weeks after it opened, the stage is set for the rest of a turbulent, tumultuous season. So how did they get on?

Well, here are my grades for ever major move they made this month.

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Signing Konstantinos Mavropanos for £2 million – B

I’m not going to pretend that I am expert on a relatively unknown Greek defender. I don’t. In fact, before he had been signed, I had not seen a minute of him play before.

But I can tell you this: When Wenger signed Konstantinos Mavropanos early on in this window, he initially stated that he would not be good enough to feature imminently, revealing that he would be loaned out for the remainder of the season; within a week, Wenger had changed his mind and Mavropanos was staying in North London, actually making an appearance on the bench against Chelsea.

For such a cheap price, at the age of 20, Arsenal are essentially are a taking a no-lose punt on a player who clearly has natural talent. It’s never going to be a groundbreaking move, but it is certainly one that I like. Good job.