Arsenal’s success and failure of January transfer window

Arsenal wrap up another transfer window under Mikel Arteta, this unlike any other previously seen during his tenure.

It had all the hallmarks of the new regime, though, with deadwood shipped off for nominal fees, loans out to less prestigious clubs, or contract terminations with their full salaries paid. So, in some ways, it was a typical transfer window under Arteta.

But usually there are incomings; players making their way through the door who are upgrades on those departing. Instead, two MLS-based players, one goalkeeper and one central defender, were signed and neither will be making the journey across the pond until the summer.

And then there was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Arsenal’s success and failure of January transfer window came from moving Aubameyang on to Barcelona, but not replacing him

The decision to ostracise him from the club is viewed differently from varying lenses. In any case the point remained that he hadn’t kicked a ball since December 6, was on the decline, and all hope of him being reintegrated into the Arsenal fold had faded. There was no way back.

Barcelona, being the perennial fools they are, wanted a bite of the cherry. But only on a loan deal until the summer. Far from the ideal scenario for Arsenal, their pool of options had drained down to leave a single destination. Their hands were tied.

Arsenal have not only moved Aubameyang on, however, but they have done so permanently. As well as all his wages. All £29m of them. They have, for better or for worse, got away with it. Truly, a boomerang strapped with explosives thrown out of the Emirates Stadium centre circle has miraculously veered off course and landed safely elsewhere.

It’s an outstanding amount of money they’ve saved for a player who would never play for the club again. This frees Arsenal up for the coming summer. Massively so.

But that is where the success ends. The failure comes from the reaction to this move. Spoiler: there wasn’t one.

Letting Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari, Sead Kolasinac, Folarin Balogun and, to a lesser degree, Ainsley Maitland-Niles depart with combined 245 minutes of Premier League football since September is not a negative thing. It is exactly what this rebuild is about.

They’re gone, their contributions minimal anyway, and any disappointment about them – with the exclusion of Maitland-Niles leaving too early – is faux anger. What their departures do, however, is leave the squad dangerously thin in the case of injury or absence. With 17 Premier League matches, one per week, the squad may or may not survive. It is a seismic risk.

What is undoubtedly inexcusable is not replacing Aubameyang. That is this window’s great failure.

And that isn’t to say keeping him would have solved Arsenal’s centre-forward issues either. The team have played better collectively with Alexandre Lacazette in the side. But Arsenal find themselves in with their best opportunity of securing a top four berth in three seasons. It is within their grasp.

Instead they must rely on two strikers who are out of contract in six months and who have a combined tally of two Premier League goals from open play this season. It is befuddling to consider that the club have allowed this opportunity of Champions League football and the riches and prestige that comes with it to be risked by one striker who doesn’t score and another who can only score against lower league opposition.

It rests the goalscoring burden on the shoulders of three Under-21 players. They may be the best players in this team but at their respective ages none of them are proven goalscorers; their backs are repeatedly weighted down.

There is sympathy to be had with the club not spending this month – their primary targets weren’t attainable and Arsenal has to bring an end to wasting money on players they aren’t fully invested in – but to not even bring in a striker on loan is madness. Even with an ugly loan fee they will pay that back numerous times over if it secures them top four.

Holding the belief that moving Aubameyang and his entire salary on is a success and not filling his gap in the squad with another striker are not mutually exclusive. And that is where Arsenal are. One opportunity taken, and another squandered that, come May, could prove fatal.