Arsenal finished the just ended Premier League season in the fifth position with a point short behind their arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspurs which was not what the fans had expected from the team.
The fifth position saw them lose the chance for a Champions League spot next season and all hope vanished when they were unable to win the Europa League final, losing by 4 goals to 1 to their London neighbours, their only alternative to Champions League qualification.
Arsenal fans after the disappointing loss to Chelsea and the inability to secure a top-four finish, however, still dew positive signs from their new manager Unai Emery. The humiliating defeat to Chelsea and failure to qualify for Champions League has ultimately had consequences on Unai Emery’s transfer budget with the Spanish coach given just £45 million to strengthen his ranks during the summer transfer window. And again, insufficient funds have been an issue within the great London club for a while now.
Having an owner who isn’t ready to invest in the clubs success is the core of Arsenals transfer problems. Stan Kroenke has shown little sign of having an interest in the affairs of the club since he arrived on the scene in North London. Stan has made hundreds of millions since purchasing the club and not much has been put back into the club. Now with his focus on business in the United States, there is no real sign of change in the affairs and investment of the North London club. The club is fast losing its sense of direction.
Harsh as it may look, the dipping form of Mesut Ozil is another reason why Arsenal are likely to face transfer problems again this summer as his performance coupled with some other players has not been impressive enough to lure other players to join the club.
With him playing less within the season and creating few and fewer chances as the season progresses, Mesut Ozil is fast losing form in an Arsenal shirt and his inability to fit into Unai Emery’s plans don’t help either. In as much as he is out of form and favour, he still remains Arsenals highest paid player receiving £350,000 a week which is outrageous considering the fact that he is not delivering on the pitch. He is a drain on the clubs resources and the departure of Aaron Ramsey to Juventus on a free doesn’t help the case of both parties either. Without Champions League football, Arsenal can’t sustain the amount paid to their number 10.
The problem doesn’t get any better as Ozil has made it clear that he wouldn’t want to leave the club because he is happy in London and his contract doesn’t run out until 2021. Arsenal would have to find a solution before the start of the 2019/2020 season.
There is no real lasting solution to the clubs transfer problem. Until Ozil’s contract and wages issue are settled and Stan Kroenke miraculously deciding to invest in the club, the affairs of the club will continue to deteriorate.
The introduction of young promising youngsters from the clubs academy can also help reduce transfer issues, so can the sale of out of form players.
Until the great North London club and its fans are ready to put the issue of the transfer market to bed and force the hand of Stan Kroenke to invest in the club, the North London club would lose its value.
