Arsenal: Well, at least there is a plan in place

Raul Sanllehi has stated that Arsenal have a ‘very clear’ plan ahead of a critical summer transfer window. But does that really mean anything?

The summer transfer window is looming. Although Arsenal still have one more match to go to end their season, the little prospect of a Europa League final against Chelsea, the gaze of the fan base and club has very much begun to sneak towards what may happen in the upcoming crucial transfer market.

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And for the Gunners, more than most teams, this is an absolutely critical summer window. Unai Emery is a year into his post-Arsene Wenger project and there is lots of personnel change that must be enacted. There is a whole host of players that will be shipped out, some of them confirmed already, and the squad will undergo a major makeover.

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As such change is on the horizon, then, it is vital that the club has a clear plan of action in how they want to enact this process of evolution. Which are the players they are wanting to build around? What are the positions that need investment? Where will potential solutions be found and can they all be acquired within budget? These are all the questions that will be answered by Arsenal’s plan, whatever that may be.

Thankfully, according to head of football Raul Sanllehi, they have one:

"“What I can tell you is that we have identified very clearly and unanimously with our head coach and technical people, we know what we want to prioritise and we’re very clear on what our priorities are. We’re already in the market and we’re already talking with the people that can help us to cover those positions and I feel quite strong.”"

This all sounds jolly good. And it is absolutely necessary for any club to even begin thinking about having a positive transfer window. ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’, as my teacher used to always say to me. But let’s be honest, Sanllehi is hardly going to say that the club is not ready for the upcoming window.

The ‘interview’ that he and managing director Vinai Venkatesham was with Arsenal.com. It was completely and utterly controlled by the club, bringing freelance presenter Laura Woods in to ask the ‘questions’. These were pre-planned questions with crafted answers worked out beforehand. This PR fluff piece is not going to provide the most honest reflection of what the club’s real plans will be for the coming summer.

In the end, plans must produce. You can scheme all you want, but if the team does not improve, it makes very little difference. I am sure that Jose Mourinho had plans for Manchester United. Or Roy Hodgson at Liverpool. Or Steve McClaren for England. Or any manager that has ever been. Almost all will have plans for what they want to achieve and how they will achieve it. But is the plan then executed properly and is it actually any good?

That is really what matters. Having plans means little. It is what comes of them that is important. And on that, for Sanllehi, Emery and Arsenal, the jury is still very much out.