Arsenal are yet to confirm any major arrivals in the transfer window, although a number of deals are in the works.
A deal to sign Riccardo Calafiori is all but complete, whilst there have been strong links to Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino.
Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have a difficult task on their hands, as they aim to strengthen an already strong squad which fell just short of Premier League title glory.
It is hard to find upgrades on the players within the squad, and with several targets including Martin Zubimendi and Benjamin Sesko not easily convinced over a move, action in this window has been fairly slow.
Some may argue that the quality of Arsenal’s squad now means additions are not too necessary, but teams should always seek to improve the depth of their squads, and this was one mistake which ended up costing Arsene Wenger another Premier League title.
Arsenal endured worst-ever transfer window in 2015-16
Arsenal were in a good place at the end of the 2014-15 season. The team finished the campaign strongly to secure third place, and they also won their second FA Cup in two years.
Wenger had a tight-knit squad at his disposal, with a strong defence marshalled by Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, with Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez supplying the attacking quality.
Arsenal appeared ready to challenge for the title, and every fan could see that they were just one striker and one defensive midfielder away from having a fully prepared squad.
However, despite links to several high-profile stars including Karim Benzema, Arsenal’s only signing that summer was Petr Cech, with the veteran goalkeeper joining from Chelsea, and whilst Arsenal went on to finish second, they came behind Leicester City, and a squad with more adequate depth may have won the league.
Arsenal’s only summer signing was an ageing goalkeeper, and no outfield players arrived. This was a disaster waiting to happen, with it obvious that there was not enough depth in midfield or upfront to sustain a title challenge, and they missed a golden opportunity to win the title.
Edu must learn from Arsene Wenger error in Arsenal recruitment in 2015
Wenger and the Arsenal recruitment team had sat on their laurels and backed the unity within the squad to bridge the gap between third and first place.
Being proactive in the market, even if first-choice targets were unavailable, and signing depth options in midfield and upfront could have been the difference between first and second place.
Olivier Giroud and Sanchez went on goal droughts, and a new striker could have reduced some of the burden on them.
When Francis Coquelin was injured and suspended, both Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini did not have the physicality to replace him, and Mohamed Elneny eventually arrived in January, with Wenger realising he needed more depth.
Arteta and Edu have built a great squad now, but they must heed the lesson from 2015, that even with a title-challenging roster now, they still need additions if they are to bridge the gap between them and Manchester City in the title race.
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