Arsenal: At least Unai Emery knows what is needed

Unai Emery has stated that Arsenal require a player capable of playing on both wings and a centre-back this January. At least he is aware of the needs of the team, unlike his predecessor, Arsene Wenger.

Perhaps the most frustrating element of Arsene Wenger’s tenure at Arsenal was the repeatability of his mistakes. It is said to be Albert Einstein who defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Sadly, there might not be a better delineation of Wenger’s approach in the latter years.

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Specifically, it was the continued shortcomings of the team that were so bemusing. It seemed like every summer, people were saying that Arsenal needed a centre-back, a goalkeeper and a defensive midfielder. And yet, almost every year, a winger and a creative midfielder would be signed instead.

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Whether Wenger was aware of the needs of the team but didn’t or couldn’t act on them or was merely oblivious to the positions that required investment, the overarching criticism remains the same: the team failed in the same areas time after time after time. Insanity.

So to hear Unai Emery speak openly and correctly about the present needs of the team is extremely refreshing. This is what he said when asked about the Gunners’ potential transfer business this January:

"“I don’t want to speak about individual players, because I know the club is working. The club is working on the possibility to take some players who can help us during the next four months. The club is working with different players. Our message is we only want to sign one or two players, who can help us with performance <…> The idea is firstly to find the quality and this quality can help us. We need, if he can come here, a winger for the right or left or some players also at centre back.”"

As is well known, whether any significant signings can actually be made this winter remains to be seen. Emery ceded earlier in the window that Arsenal only have the budget to make loan signings. They will not be making a splash this time around.

But even if no signings have been made by the time the January 31st deadline comes and goes, it is still comforting to know that Emery is at the very least aware of the positions that desperately require a little sprucing up. Centre-back has been a problem position all year, particularly with Rob Holding now done for the season, while the two wide roles have predominantly been filled by players that have the capability but not the natural skill set to flourish in them.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a good enough striker to play out wide, but his goal threat is wasted by not playing him through the middle. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi both want to be in central spaces, not shoved out to the wide channels. You can tell when watching them play. Mesut Ozil and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, too, are not what you would call natural wingers.

This has unquestionably been a frustrating January window. It would have been nice to see Arsenal spend a little more freely as they chase down a top-four finish. But at least Emery knows the positions that need investment. That is an encouraging sign, a sign that transfer market insanity may well be coming to an end at London Colney.