Arsenal’s top four dreams at risk with snail’s pace transfers

Arsenal has been notoriously slow when it comes to transfers. Often not getting deals done until late on deadline day, the Gunners have been said to drag their feet and get the best possible deal instead of paying for a player to come in straight away.

While a logical step in most cases, time is very much of the essence.

So, here we sit, nearly three weeks into the January window and not a single player has come through the Emirates doors. Ainsley Maitland-Niles has left on loan to Roma, Folarin Balogun has joined Middlesbrough until the end of the season and central defender Pablo Mari is nearing a temporary deal with Italian side Udinese, while academy stars are also set to move on.

With the evident lack of playing depth within the squad, Arsenal is letting players go without replacing them. That is odd workings for a team that is in desperate need of healthy bodies.

Arsenal’s top four dreams at risk with snail’s pace transfers as Mikel Arteta and Edu are yet to make any vital January signings

As a rule, big-name signings are nearly impossible to get over the line as teams do not want to lose stars midway through the season. Mikel Arteta and Edu knew that the likes of Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were going to be absent ages ago yet failed to have a contingency plan in place. That is worrying organisation for any football team, let alone a Premier League side.

So why have there not been signings coming through the door? Only Arteta and Edu know the answer to that, but the fact is Arsenal are on the bare bones of their squad with even more leaving. Dusan Vlahovic has been sounded out since to start of the transfer window, but agent fees are now providing a stumbling block to getting a deal done.

Then there was talk of Juventus midfielder Arthur making a loan move, yet that has yet to materialize. So once again, the club is facing a late rush to get players in before the window slams shut. But the club needs proven senior players like Vlahovic and Arthur, not fringe options. The club does not want a repeat of previous trolley dash situations. There have been colossal stuff ups before as Arsene Wenger rushed to get players last minute.

The fact that Vlahovic is said to be interested in joining the club and the Arsenal have sounded him out shows they still have ambition. His head is likely to be turned by Champions League football which Arsenal are in the mix for. But not getting their deals done in quick time could leave the Gunners short-handed in critical games on their schedule.

Arsenal’s next four Premier League games are ones they should be winning…if they had their full complement of players. But such is the lack of depth now that those games are potential banana skins, and given how tight the race for the top four is, these are games they can’t afford to lose. Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey will be back before not long, but other potential injuries and Covid cases must be considered. While there is only really one competition left, the risk remains.

The Gunners are facing a critical time in their season that they fought so hard to rectify after the horrible start to push them into a position of strength. But a lack of movement regarding transfers could undo all their hard work.

All of this could have been avoided with the appropriate planning. The Maitland-Niles loan continues to puzzle. The club now finds itself in a precarious position and are in a race against time to get players signed in time to play.

Champions League football was once a staple diet for the north London club and having been starved of it for the last couple of years, it is now within reach. It would be a shame to miss out on European football again due to negligence. Arsenal have to get it sorted. Time is running out.