Well, we can all breathe easy now right? Arsenal have actually signed two people this week! Finally, after weeks of intense speculation and flying rumours, the fans voices have been heard by the club. They took the will of the supporters seriously, cracked their knuckles, buckled down and finally signed… a contracts guy and a fitness coach?
OK, so they aren’t exactly the top class player signings that fans have been clamouring for, but Arsenal truly has gotten better this week. Fans have been calling out for a change both on the pitch and in the back room, and it truly does seem like the club is taking steps to address aspects of the operation that have lagged behind in recent seasons.
The hiring of former Sky Team lawyer Huss Fahmy represents a hugely important coup for a club that has long been criticised for failing to get the ball over the line in contract negotiations, often leading to a fan-enraging tale from manager Arsene Wenger about the time Arsenal almost signed the player in question, who is undoubtedly performing well at the time of asking. With Fahmy, they get a lawyer who has spent the last 7 years at Sky helping to write the final language of some complicated contractual negotiations.
Dick Law, Arsenal’s long time “transfer fixer” will still be involved in the initial phases of negotiations due to his connections and relationships long since established in the football world. Huss Fahmy would then be brought in to hammer out the details and language of the contract, completing negotiations in an expedient manner. To fans that have anguished while other big clubs in the Premier League seem to finish their transfer business months before Arsene Wenger, this should be music to the ears. With stars such as Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all heading into the final year on their deals, having an experienced negotiator on staff should only help the process for the club.
If contract lawyers aren’t enough to excite you (and really, why shouldn’t they be?) then Arsenal’s other addition could be a little more to your liking. Darren Burgess is alleged to be “a genius” when it comes to athlete performance and nutrition, even going so far as to weigh and carefully portion every bit of food an athlete eats.
Having previously spent time with the Australian national team before the 2010 World Cup, Liverpool for 3 seasons thereafter, and currently Port Adelaide, an Aussie Rules club in the AFL. He will arrive with a mandate from Arsene Wenger himself, who has allegedly hand picked the fitness guru. His role could potentially be wide ranging, from overseeing medical, fitness and performance data to psychology. He may even potentially have a role in recruitment, as he has enjoyed positive relationships with many of his players through the years.
Burgess will be joining the club sometime within the next month, before heading briefly back to Australia to help Port Adelaide finish out the year. His hiring is very good news for Gooners of the belief that the team suffers far too many injuries and, specifically, too many recurring or slow to heal injuries that have nagged some players for years.
Bids Made?
Awash in a sea of recurring rumours this week we heard reports that Arsenal have made bids for Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and former too-good-for-Arsenal, current too-poor-for-Barcelona star Arda Turan. Now, I don’t like to imply that any player rumour I like has a good chance in my book while the ones I don’t I dismiss, but in this case that is exactly what I want to do.
To Lacazette I say “Yes, please”. He is in the prime of his career and has consecutive seasons of prolific scoring output, plus, has shown the ability and desire to improve his game. Much has been made of the possibility he goes to Arsenal for at least two years, and this could be the year it finally happens. No club can ever have too many 30 goal potential strikers, and Arsenal will be looking to sign a striker this summer to supplement their attack.
As for Turan though, it continues to be a head scratcher. His talent is obvious, and he is perfectly built for the stress and strain of the Premier League. However, at 30 years old and having previously called Arsenal essentially a second rate club to Barcelona, Turan would likely not find his reception in North London very warm, should he sign.
The fact is, Arsenal do need to find reinforcements this summer if they are to muscle their way back into contention, and to be fair, if all goes perfectly, Arda Turan could well contribute to that. However, not all 30+ year old players are as talented as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, so it may be unrealistic to automatically expect him to hit the ground running in England. Finally, a player like Turan could potentially upset the delicate confidence that the team was able to rebuild with their strong finish to the season.
Stepping Stone
Speaking of players speaking about Arsenal in casually demeaning ways, Wunderkind and favourite of the North London faithful, Kylian Mbappe, has stated that he perhaps would not mind signing for a team like Arsenal at this stage in his career, viewing this as a stepping stone to his eventual dream move to Real Madrid. At the risk of being hypocritical, or at least contradictory of my last paragraph, I do not see an issue with this.
At 18 years old, Mbappe is unquestionably on the ascendancy in his career, rather than passed his best like Arda Turan. Mbappe grew up idolising his national football heroes, many of whom played for Arsenal a decade ago. He also, as an attacker that has been alive for the last 10 years, idolises Cristiano Ronaldo, and for many, one of the two Spanish giants represents the pinnacle of the sport.
At this moment in time, Arsenal are not on the level of Real Madrid. Madrid has won the last 2 UEFA Champions League crowns, while Arsenal have struggled to maintain their place in that same tournament. That being said, Arsenal did not build the Emirates Stadium to become a stepping stone club. I would imagine that if Wenger is going to sign Mbappe, he believes that being here and fighting for honours with the club will entice him to stick around for more than a couple seasons. Mbappe has to realise the path to greatness comes with a lot more playing time at Arsenal, and, should he decide he wants Real Madrid in a few years, he will still have the majority of his prime aged years to seek out new challenges. He is still the one player on the market that fans want more than any other.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
