Arsenal’s Dominik Szoboszlai Shortcomings Prompt Transfer Aggression

Arsenal have failed in their efforts to sign Dominik Szoboszlai.

How frustrating too, just as Arsenal supporters had began to crack spelling his name without double checking in everyone’s favourite search engine.

Yes, in case the world wasn’t aware just yet, it seems inevitable that Dominik Szoboszlai will be joining RB Leipzig in the coming January transfer window. Nothing is confirmed, but the quantity of reliable outlets running the story strongly suggests the deal will go off without a hitch.

Is anyone massively surprised?

Here we have a fantastic young talent, available for next to nothing and eager to make the step up in his career having yet to taste a more demanding division than the Austrian Bundesliga. All you could want as a potential employer was there at a snip, so it’s little wonder that half of Europe was tracking his development ahead of the winter window.

It’s also little wonder that Arsenal didn’t win the race. With the options laid out, can anyone put their allegiances aside and say Arsenal are a more enticing proposition than RB Leipzig at this moment in time? Or what about AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, both currently leading the way in their respective division?

This milk is now well and truly spilled, time to move on.

On the positive side, the timeframe Red Bull Salzburg placed on Szoboszlai making a decision kindly provided the sides who missed out time to reassess ahead of other targets.

Who those are for Arsenal ranges from the realistic to the ridiculous, although Houssem Aouar and Emi Buendia have been ever-present throughout. Aouar more so, as his profile rectifies the dearth of creativity in central areas hence the continuous efforts in the summer.

As for Buendia, his stats are what are most alluring, and while his creativity from wide areas matches some of the criteria Arsenal seek, if but one it obtainable, it’s Aouar a hundred times over. But this isn’t the focus.

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1337404839274434561

Say what you want about Raul Sanllehi, but he was aggressive. His approach was misguided and caused rifts with other clubs, not to mention his targets in the first place were flawed, but he at least went out with intent. Thankfully he’s gone now. For good reason.

But Arsenal must channel some of that with a style more in line with the club’s customary ways. The phone needs picking up immediately, both internally and externally, knowing how much is in the kitty and how much X, Y & Z want for X, Y & Z.

Imperative doesn’t come close to adequately summing up the need for creativity, especially since the only recognised squad members who can add ball progression, guile, offensive intuition, vision or even just half-decent movement in between the lines can’t get Premier League minutes.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was promised creative additions in the summer. The expiry date on that wish is already up.