The Premier League, with the exception of Chelsea, has been relatively quiet in the transfer market this offseason. It might have been because of the World Cup, and it could also be due to Spain’s La Liga –more like Spain’s duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid –swooping all the big-name stars.
Yes, Manchester United picked up Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, but they aren’t Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez, champion of the World Cup and Golden Boot winner, respectively. Sure, Liverpool bought Adam Lallana, but I’m not so sure if he can replace Suarez. Even, Manchester City couldn’t do better than steal Bacary Sagna’s signature from Arsenal. Which leads us to the Gunners.
To be straightforward, I’m a fan of the London club. I love Arsenal (so I’ll try to stay as objective as possible). I love Arsene Wenger and I love his approach of buying young players and developing them. Last year and this year, however, that tradition had to be put aside a bit for a win-now mentality, with Wenger bringing in Mesut Ozil to anchor the midfield. This year, Wenger brought in Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona, a move that was largely overshadowed by the World Cup tournament and the eventual transfer of Suarez to the Catalan club. And I believe that it is precisely Sanchez’ move to Arsenal, among others, that will propel the Gunners to legitimate title contention.
Alexis Sanchez is a world-class player at his position. There might be only one or two players better at what he does at the right wing position –creating opportunities for strikers up front and putting the ball in the back of the net, not to mention set pieces and his dribbling abilities. As a fan, I am delighted about his addition, but to remain objective, I think Barcelona could have made moves to bolster their defense, where most of their liabilities were this past season, instead of improving further upon their offense, already boasting of Messi, Neymar, and Sanchez (before his sale).
But it’s more than superstar Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal. Soccer’s always a team sport; as great of a player Lionel Messi might be, he has never single-handedly lead his side to glory. Like I said, Arsenal already has Ozil, and though he struggled a little last season, he is also capable of playing in star form, which he did in all his years at Madrid. With better team chemistry and familiarity with Wenger’s tactics, it will only be a better campaign for the German international. If you forgot, Ozil is a playmaker in the midfield, extremely gifted at finding open players, which often lead to goal scoring chances. His performance at the 2010 World Cup was the reason why Real Madrid bought him then, similar to James Rodriguez’s fine showing at this year’s tournament.
Some other names in the news recently? David Ospina and Sami Khedira. Yup, both have been linked to Arsenal, and Ospina’s transfer appears imminent. Both players had great performances for Colombia and Germany, respectively, at the World Cup, and with the addition of these players, Arsenal will surely be the favorites to lift the Premier League trophy at the end (which is bad because I feel Arsenal will perform worse under pressure).
But still, even without Ospina and Khedira, Arsenal fields a potential starting 11 of Wojciech Szczeny (GK), Mathieu Debuchy (DR), Per Mertesacker (DC), Laurent Koscielny (DC), Thomas Vermaelen (DL), Jack Wilshire (MC), Mesut Ozil (AMC), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (FL), Alexis Sanchez (FR), Theo Walcott (ST), and Olivier Giroud (ST). And the subs? Kieran Gibbs, Lukas Podolski, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Abou Diaby, and youngster Joel Campbell. They are all capable of starting. Imagine the possibilities for Wenger tactically, with a variety of talents at his disposal.
What about the competition? Well, Liverpool obviously lost Suarez, who almost entirely lead them to Premier League glory, so I would definitely count them out of the top 4. Manchester United didn’t do much in terms of players but did bring in a new coach in Louis van Gaal, who is known as a tactical genius. But can his formations, which rely on a great defense, bring back the success that the Red Devils are used to seeing, for a team that hopes to forget its 2013-14 season? Only time will tell. Manchester City and Chelsea look to be the greatest threat to Arsenal right now, but in the Premier League there’s always five or six contenders for the title.
Anyways, all I’m trying to prove is that Arsenal will be in a three way race for the rights to lift the trophy next year. Things only look uphill if you’re an Arsenal fan!
Photo Credit: Reuters