It is Time for Market Opportunities to take a Backseat at Arsenal

By Rob Worthington (Deputy Editor)

‘Market Opportunity’ has become something of a buzz phrase for Arsenal during transfer windows. The club go into the market with a select list of roles they wish to fill over the course of a given transfer window, but if an opportunity arises outside that criteria, Arsenal have shown a willingness to make amendments. 

The most obvious example of Arsenal taking up the option to take advantage of a market opportunity in recent times was through the acquisition of David Raya. Due to financial restrictions caused by Profit and Sustainability regulations (PSR), the Gunners found themselves scrambling for an addition on top of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice. 

In this instance, pouncing at the chance to sign Raya made sense. Brentford were receptive to Arsenal’s wishes to structure the deal in a way in which ensured the transaction would not appear in the north London club’s dealings in the 2023 financial year, easing their PSR concerns. 

Not only did signing Raya represent a market opportunity financially, but also because signing a goalkeeper was hardly a priority for Arsenal last summer. Then number 1 Aaron Ramsdale had only recently signed a new bumper contract and his performance over the course of the 2022/23 wasn’t particularly concerning. 

However, over the course of the 2023/24 campaign, David Raya demonstrated himself as a significant upgrade over Ramsdale. His exceptional ability to claim crosses was unmatched by any other goalkeeper in world football across the season. Additionally, his willingness to play further up the pitch during the build-up phase proved highly beneficial. As a result, few, if any, now question the decision to bring in Raya last summer.

A year on from that Raya deal and the buzz phrase has returned. Numerous reports have now suggested signing a striker isn’t a top priority for Arsenal this summer, but the club are widely believed to have closely followed the situation of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko in recent weeks. The Slovenian has now signed a new deal with the Bundesliga outfit, but until a few days ago it appeared Arsenal were ready to trigger his £55 million release clause. 

This was another example of Edu and his recruitment team’s desire to take advantage of market opportunities. Sesko is a raw centre-forward, but it is evident he possesses all the attributes required to become a top quality Premier League striker one day. As such, bringing him in to initially replace the likely outgoing Eddie Nketiah with a view to eventually be first first-choice #9 made sense.

Over the last 24 hours we’ve seen yet another example of Arsenal looking to pounce at a market opportunity. Many fans have found themselves rolling their eyes as the club have been linked with yet another goalkeeper. With Real Madrid Andriy Lunin’s relationship with Carlo Ancelotti growing frosty, Arsenal, according to Spanish reports, are said to be ready to pounce. 

Lunin enjoyed an excellent campaign with the La Liga giants deputising more than adequately for Thibaut Courtois who spent the majority of the campaign side-lined through an ACL injury. The Ukrainian proved himself to be one of the most exciting goalkeeping prospects in the game in Courtois’ absence. 

The attraction to signing this player is understandable. Just as Aaron Ramsdale was replaceable, as is David Raya, but using crucial resources to upgrade on a player who enjoyed an almost flawless second half of his debut season could be a tad wasteful especially in the current PSR climate. 

At the end of the summer, once Arsenal's primary concerns in the market are hopefully addressed, pursuing such opportunities might make sense depending on the financial landscape. However, for now, the Gunners need to focus on those primary concerns. It's easy to forget that it's only June and the Euros haven't even started yet. These concerns don't need immediate attention, but it's time for the 'Market Opportunities' to take a backseat.

For now, Arsenal need to get working on how they are going to bridge the gap between themselves and the juggernaut that is Manchester City. Arteta’s men came close last season, but City are only going to get stronger, and Arsenal must do all they can to get even closer to Pep Guardiola’s side in order to pip them to the next Premier League title. 

Heading into the transfer window, for many it was clear where the work needed to be done. A pacey forward is needed to share the load with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. Declan Rice requires a new midfield partner due to Thomas Partey’s impending departure and Jorginho’s advancing age. Additionally, a left-sided defender is necessary with Alex Zinchenko potentially leaving and Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu sometimes proving unreliable.

With Arsenal very much working in the dark these days, it is quite possible work is ongoing on these fronts. However, a few nuggets of information on this front would certainly do the fanbase a world of good. And I must say, if I hear the phrase ‘Market Opportunity’ again until we see some significant developments elsewhere, my head may well explode. 

Get. To. Work.