“We are not close enough to announce to you today, but they will sign for us”.
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger takes a lot of criticism for his activities, or quite often, lack of activities in the transfer market. “I am 99 per cent confident”, he said. The 20-year-old defender was signed by the Gunners from Bolton Wanders for £2m ($2.6m) and made his debut in their first game of the new season against Liverpool.
“That is the first question”. Capable of playing out wide or up front, the Spaniard will surely only be a squad player at best, and fans will be left wondering what might have been if Wenger’s priority targets had come in instead.
Less than a week later, Wenger’s actions spoke louder than his words.
Nonetheless, such criticisms have now subsided in recent days with the news that both Lucas Perez and Shkodran Mustafi have arrived in North London for their respective medicals. Fans begged the boss to buy, and, finally, he bought.
Mustafi, in particular, will be a good signing. The two are expected to be officially announced as Arsenal players over the weekend, and will add depth to key positions. None of the other options can match such an impressive CV, and while the reported £35 million fee is rather extortionate, the desperate need for a central defender dictates such a heft price.
Lucas Perez may not be a big name, but he could provide vital support up top for the Gunners.
Unlike the summer-long pursuit of Mustafi, the interest in Lucas has only just resurfaced.
He scored 17 La Liga goals in 2015-16 and Wenger likes what he has seen of the brisk winger, who can comparably play through the center. a segment the Frenchman appears, all in all, to be set to use him in.
Jens Lehmann: Okay, not technically a buy because he was brought out of retirement by Arsenal in 2011, but the “panic” element certainly stands.
Should both players complete their transfers, Arsenal’s spending for the close season will be close to 100 million pounds.
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Perez offers a different playing style to Giroud as he relies more on his pace than size, and can be unsafe outside the area as well as in the box.
