The window’s closed and Arsenal haven’t added to the front line. Julián Álvarez stays at Atlético. Morgan Rogers went to Chelsea back in July for a British-record £117m, a fee Arsenal weren’t willing to match despite him being their number-one target. Vinícius Júnior signed a new Real Madrid contract in early August, which ended that one. The summer’s attacking business is Christos Tzolis at £34m from Club Brugge.
Three targets, no addition. Tuesday’s post had Atlético giving Álvarez until Sunday, and the answer was no. Whether Arsenal were ever genuinely close on any of the three — or whether Andrea Berta’s approach of lining several deals up per position simply ran out of names — is the question nobody at the top has answered properly. It was a summer to recruit from strength, as champions, with the market tilted their way for once. Those don’t come round often.
I’d push back a little on the gloom. Bruno Guimarães at £75m and Ezri Konsa at £51m plus add-ons is not a quiet window, and Martinelli’s £60m to Al-Hilal — confirmed today, a club record — plus Jesus, Trossard and Vieira going has cleared a lot of wage bill. The squad is leaner and better balanced than it was in June.
But it’s thinner in front, and the two wins so far haven’t required much of it. Three at home to Coventry, then a 1-0 at Villa Park where the game turned on Eze coming off the bench. Six points is six points. A January when somebody’s hamstring goes will feel different.
Richard Garlick’s Men in Blazers interview landed, conveniently, just as it became clear nothing else was coming. Worth reading if you want the club’s framing.
Arsenal Women open the WSL at Brighton on Sunday. Mariona Caldentey has said Arsenal was the only club she’d have left Barcelona for, and that the deeper midfield role took adapting to. She’s been the best player in that team for two years.
James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye both started for the under-21s against Brighton, days after arriving from Manchester United. Two United academy players in an Arsenal U21 side reads oddly, but neither is a kid in the usual sense — Scanlon spent last spring at Swindon, Ogunneye had fifteen games at Newport. Early signs are good.
Chelsea at home next.
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