Arsenal: 3 things Mikel Arteta can do during hiatus

4 venue choices as Arsenal are forced to cancel Greece plans for Europa League round of 32 tie with Benfica (Photo by Harriet Lander/Copa/Getty Images)
4 venue choices as Arsenal are forced to cancel Greece plans for Europa League round of 32 tie with Benfica (Photo by Harriet Lander/Copa/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Arsenal, Thomas Partey
MADRID, SPAIN – JANUARY 26: Thomas Partey of Atletico de Madrid gestures during the Liga match between Club Atletico de Madrid and CD Leganes at Wanda Metropolitano on January 26, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Xaume Olleros/Getty Images) /

2. Plan for the summer

At some point, the summer transfer window will happen. It might not be called the ‘summer’ transfer window by that time, but between the end of this present season and the commecement of the new season, there will be a period in which clubs can buy and sell players.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

While first-team training has been suspended and players have been forced to work out at home, which could continue for some time, online meetings are still possible, while London Colney has been reopened after a deep clean following Mikel Arteta’s COVID-19 contact. So, intense training sessions will be difficult, but meetings will not, especially with the invention of technology.

Arsenal can — and should — use this added time to prepare for the upcoming transfer window. They should be making decisions on which players they want to keep, what wages they are willing to pay those who need new contracts, and begin to draw up a plan of action for how they will attack the looming period.

As the Arteta rebuild takes pace, the eventual success of his work will come down to the quality of players that the club can recruit. It is vital that they make the right decisions, both on the players they move on, on those they keep, and on the signings they make. Proper preparation will aid them in their decision-making.