Arsenal may want to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window, but financial fair play limitations are preventing them from doing so.
The Gunners have been linked with several players as a defender, midfielder and attacker could all improve Mikel Arteta’s roster of options, but all signs now point towards the club waiting until the summer to land their key targets.
Many fans are confused at Arsenal’s current situation, where a club that was leading in the title race at Christmas before a dramatic collapse in the three games since, may not be able to recruit in the January window despite several injuries also hamstringing the squad.
We spoke exclusively to HITC Football’s transfer expert Graeme Bailey to establish what Arsenal’s stance is for the January window, and why the potential to spend in winter seems so low.
Arsenal’s financial fair play issues explained
According to Bailey, Arsenal are not in immediate danger of any FFP sanctions, as has been seen elsewhere in the Premier League, but after a summer of huge spending, and a lot of contract extensions to key players, they are at a level where they need to take extra care.
“Arsenal spent a lot of money in the summer window. Spending the amount of money they did on Declan Rice, it has implications,” the transfer expert explained.
“We’ve seen big new contracts handed out in the last season or so, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli all signed new deals.
“I think they’ve been forwarned. They’re just being a bit careful. I don’t think for one minute that Arsenal are pushing up against it, but it’s my understanding that Arsenal are briefing that unless something really major comes around this month, they won’t be doing business.
Indications point towards Arsenal viewing the January window as a poor market to do business in, and Bailey has explained that the club had never planned for there to be big spending at the halfway point of the campaign.
“In the January window you do tend to overpay. They weren’t planning for January. They won’t be overly worried, they weren’t planning on a massive January anyway.”
Why are Arsenal waiting until the summer to sign their targets?
Given that Arsenal are still in the title race and the Champions League, signings now could give them a boost in both competitions.
However, alongside the FFP restrictions, there is also a problem that the key targets the club wants, may not be available now, and if they do target depth options, such as Fenerbahce fullback Ferdi Kadioglu, there is a struggle to convince such players to join knowing that they will not be regular starters.
“It’s finding someone who is happy to play that rotational role. We saw it at Tottenham for many years, where they couldn’t find someone who could cover for Harry Kane,” the HITC journalist explained.
“It’s hard to persuade these players. Ferdi Kadioglu could be an option, but you have to convince him to join and fight for a place.
“Rather than spending on a player they don’t want, Arsenal would rather go without if they had to.
“With the FFP situation, it is a case of ‘do we sign Kadioglu now, knowing it could prevent a summer move for (reported target) Jorrel Hato, or do we just wait and sign Hato in the summer?'”
An example from last season is Arsenal’s failed pursuit of Moises Caicedo.
If Arteta had signed him in the January window, then a summer move for the actual main target in Rice may not have been possible, and a similar scenario is unfolding when it comes to short-term depth options in this window.
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