The secret to Gabriel Jesus and Arsenal’s summer transfer success

Football is a wonderful game filled with excitement and trepidation game after game. Yet these emotions continue well after the end of the season as the transfer window and rumours of players coming and going bring their own healthy dose of drama and exhilaration.

Summer used to be a time for Arsenal fans to grow frustrated. The persistent links to average and ageing players and rumours of empty coffers killed any optimism. Yet over the past few years, the outlook has changed. Not only have the club invested significantly in overhauling the squad, they have done so intelligently and efficiently.

While rivals splash the cash for shiny new toys, Arsenal have been uncompromising in their approach: sign the right player for the right amount. No longer will the club be held over the fire and made to overpay for mediocrity. If the selling club tries to do so, Arsenal will simply move on the next player on their list.

Moving down the list doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing quality. After turning their attention away from Lisandro Martinez, the club secured Oleksandr Zinchenko’s signature with ease. He has since become an integral member to the squad.

The secret to Gabriel Jesus and Arsenal’s summer transfer success

This transfer strategy certainly works for bringing the right players into the squad but performances still have to be seen on the pitch. Dozens of transfers every season fail to pan out. One has only to look to Manchester United to see example after example of this. The likes of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and more were recruited with excitement but their showings have failed to live up to expectations. This is yet to happen to Arsenal’s signings in the past two summer windows (touch wood!).

The only player who might have been even somewhat disappointing was Nuno Tavares and although his playing style might be at odds with the manager’s, his quality is still apparent. The likes of Albert Sambi Lokonga and Takehiro Tomiyasu were impressive in their debut seasons, especially the latter.

The success of the three transfers and those of Ben White, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko can be attributed in large part to one man: Mikel Arteta. While there can be myriad reasons a signing does not work out, the largest factor is chaos. Unai Emery’s reign was complete mayhem, unsettling both established players and newcomers. No one understood the tactics or the plan.

Arteta is the complete opposite, having and articulating a clear structure and vision for the club as a whole and for every individual player. This clarity helps players immediately understand what their role is on and off the pitch. Coming from a foreign league and slotting almost immediately into the starting lineup is not as easy as some make it look. Tomiyasu came from perennial Serie A mid-tablers Bologna but because of Arteta’s clear instruction and expectation, he knew exactly how to play in the side.

This coherence is what allows players to come in and hit the ground running. They know exactly how Arteta wants them to play and what he expects, ensuring success from nearly every signing, no matter their background. Long may it continue.