Arsenal: English transfer market bias a big problem

In recent transfer windows, Arsenal have very rarely bought players directly from other English teams. This has to change.

Almost all of Arsenal’s major signings over the last decade have come from other European leagues. Maybe this is down to the perception that local players tend to be overrated, or perhaps domestic signings are somewhat boring.

After all, there is an element of intrigue that comes with signing lesser known players with supposedly greater potential.

But not all Premier League players are overvalued, and sometimes a less exciting, yet more reliable player is better than an unfamiliar prospect.

Unai Emery’s current situation is often compared to Jurgen Klopp’s from a few years ago. However, what sometimes goes unnoticed is that the German’s transformation of Liverpool has largely been made possible by investing heavily in proven Premier League quality.

The likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum, Andy Robertson, and Xherdan Shaqiri all joined from other English clubs. Furthermore, excluding Van Dijk’s colossal price, the others were signed for a combined total of less than £80m, and they have each played a massive role in Liverpool’s resurgence to the top.

One of the rare exceptions to Arsenal’s transfer market trend was the signing of Mikel Arteta from Everton back in 2011 for just £10m. While Arteta had his limitations as a deep-lying midfielder, he undeniably brought quality and much-needed experience to an Arsenal side in desperate need of leadership, while also helping the club end its nine-year trophy drought in 2014. All things considered, the Spaniard was a solid addition to the team, and the Gunners could use a stabilizing presence like him now.

This offseason, most of Arsenal’s transfer rumors have unsurprisingly centered around lesser known players from other leagues. For example, the club is desperately in need of defensive reinforcements, and the strongest links have been to players like Sampdoria’s Joachim Andersen and Saint-Étienne’s William Saliba.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

I don’t know much about either of those players, but I do know plenty of Premier League center-backs who would walk into Arsenal’s current squad and should be attainable. Newcastle’s duo of Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles, Burnley’s James Tarkowski, Wolves’s Willy Boly, and Brighton’s Lewis Dunk are all players who I would take in a heartbeat over Mustafi or an aging Koscielny.

None of them is over the age of 28, and they are all well accustomed to the pace and intensity of English football, so no learning curve would be necessary.

When it comes to Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser, many Arsenal fans would rather take a risk on Yannick Carrasco, who has spent the past year and a half playing in China, despite the fact that only Eden Hazard had more assists than Fraser last season.

This is not to say that Fraser would necessarily be the better signing, but it does highlight the underlying thought process that has been so prevalent. In short, the idea of Carrasco is alluring and exciting, whereas with Fraser the notion is that we largely know what to expect.

Filling other positions of need, such as left-back and in central midfield, will admittedly be trickier. Players like Leicester’s Ben Chilwell, Everton’s Lucas Digne, and Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucouré are all signed to long-term contracts and would require massive transfer fees, so it may still be advantageous to look outside of England in some cases.

However, this club has turned a blind eye to Premier League quality for too long and should be looking down the table first in order to improve the squad in key areas. A flashy signing is nice and all, but the club also needs players who are used to the week-in/week-out grind of Premier League football to supplement its already talented young core.