Arsenal: 5 mistakes of the summer transfer window

3. Arsenal Needed to Sign Another Midfielder

Reports have emerged that Mohamed Elneny is now attracting interest from Turkey and has proposals to consider from two clubs. If Arsenal do opt to sell him, this point becomes even more noteworthy.

Thomas Partey (off to AFCON and injury prone), Granit Xhaka, Sambi Lokonga (young and inexperienced) and Ainsley Maitland-Niles (not the standard required) are not sufficient options to see out a season in which Arsenal hope to be competing on the Premier League and two other fronts.

It’s too big of a risk. In other circumstances it could be acceptable to have four options for a European-less campaign if the four had the right blend of quality, experience and clean injury records. These four don’t.

Elneny, as painful as it is, needs to stay just to bolster the numbers. He could have left if another option was brought in, but it became clear finance would be focused elsewhere with the heavy spending on Ramsdale and White, as well as the decision to tie Granit Xhaka down (a huge mistake on its own) to a longer deal.

There was room for experience with the 21-23 years old’s joining now nesting under the wings of the already established senior members of the squad: Xhaka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Lacazette, Bernd Leno, and others. Instead, Sambi and Xhaka for even longer was deemed adequate.