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For most of the summer, stories surfaced regarding a lack of activity from Arsenal. Many fans, myself included, grew weary of the lack of initiative the club was taking to bring in top quality talent. It seemed as if there would be no players coming in and the team would have to make it to January before attempting to bring in any reinforcements.
A lot of the anger was aimed at Arsène Wenger for not pulling the trigger on some of the potential transfers. His unwillingness to sign players was regarded as stubborn and stingy, but now it seems as if he had a plan all along.
Arsenal has made some uncharacteristic moves on deadline day much to the delight of the fans. There were multiple positions that needed strengthening this offseason, but a defender seemed the most necessary acquisition. Surprisingly, a defender was not signed as Wenger seems to think Bacary Sagna can be a more than adequate replacement should any center-back have to miss time.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano was the first signing as the Italian came over on a season long loan from Serie B side Palermo. This is a great signing that will add some depth to the position after Vito Mannone left for Sunderland earlier this summer. This will also create more competition for the starting spot between Viviano, Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny.
The uncharacteristic move came through the signing of Mesut Özil. The idea of Arsenal paying over £40 for a player is mind-boggling to me, but it indeed happened. With Özil, Arsenal gets a world-class player who will make their central midfield one of the best in the world. The signing has shocked most of the soccer world and proves that Arsenal mean business.
There are few who thought Wenger would shell out millions before the transfer window ended, especially after passing up on world class players earlier. Wenger was just waiting for the right deal to become possible and he pounced. He has showed once again why Arsenal fans should always trust in their manager.
One of the negatives to take away from deadline day is the club’s inability to sign a striker. Reports were swirling that Demba Ba would join the club on a season long loan with the option to buy, but Chelsea reportedly did not want to sell to a rival. With the Ba deal having fallen through, it appears that Nicklas Bendtner is still in Wenger’s plans for the season, which is quite interesting.
Overall, I think it’s safe to say that it was a good day for Arsenal. Who would have thought that a player as big as Özil would join? It will be exciting to see him play in the coming weeks, and hopefully he can add some more creativity to the core of the team.
Did it ever seem like Wenger was worried to you? His calm, collected demeanor was exactly what frightened Arsenal fans. We thought he should be just as worried as us, but the man is in his position for a reason. He proved himself by buying one of the premier players in Europe just days after defeating his rivals who spent over £100 on players. I won’t stoop to writing the name of the club, but you know who they are.
The past couple of days have solidified the statement, “In Arsène We Trust.”
James Roeling is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesRoeling, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
