Arsenal transfer progress is slow - but fans should not be worried (yet)

Fans should just keep calm and carry on - at least that is what Arsenal are doing.

Euro 2024, Copa America and a sales-first mindset have seen the Gunners make a slow start to their summer transfer drive - a frustrating state of affairs that is causing angst as the US pre-season tour looms.

However, there is no need to panic (yet) because the Premier League return is still five weeks away and football is set for an imminent break that will allow more activity to take place, while the pieces have already begun to move for us on both transfer fronts.  

Okay, news of the David Raya purchase is not earth-shattering, and interest in a backup goalkeeper- Dan Bentley - will hardly send heart rates into orbit. Additionally, concern over the lack of bids for ‘available’ first-team stars (e.g. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Thomas Partey) is perhaps justified especially so if any key business depends on their exits.

Fans do not need to worry about Arsenal summer transfer plans (at least not yet)

But things are now changing. This week, it seems Arsenal have struck a deal with Lazio for Nuno Tavares, and that £6-7m fee will add to the small sums earned by other, low-key transfers- namely those of Mika Biereth and Omari Hutchinson. Elsewhere, Eddie Nketiah and Jakub Kiwior are drawing interest from Marseille and AC Milan respectively.

So, the transfer window remains a slow burn, yet these are still steps in the right direction (albeit the fees leave a lot to be desired) and they will naturally take priority over our buying as the hierarchy want to free up wages and, thus, boost their financial muscle ahead of that venture.

It is also possible that the huge work/spending done in recent years has made Arsenal feel calm about adding those final pieces now and, if our targets are long-established, Mikel Arteta and co. might be more than ready to play the long game for their primary choices.    

One could add into the equation how the domestic window opened on 14 June - the day Euro 2024 started - and clubs could not do international deals until the beginning of this month. Therefore, we are probably where we ought to be by this stage and the pace will likely pick up over the next two weeks.

Ultimately, only a big spend can truly assuage the slow-progress fears and, after two near-misses, Arsenal supporters are well aware of the importance of getting the domestic campaign off to a fast start.

Bigger developments must come soon; the football calendar suggests they will.

READ THE LATEST ARSENAL NEWS HERE!