From Denis Bergkamp to Thierry Henry to Robert Pires and to talents like Wilshere (Even though he was unfortunate with injuries), Arsenal has been renowned over the years for breeding through and also buying young players and building solid teams around them. The last Arsenal team to win the league had many players who were relatively young and unknown but under the guidance of ‘Lé Prof’ scaled new heights and became players capable of challenging the very best of players and teams.
In 2018, when Arsenal appointed Unai Emery as the heir to the departing legend, Arsene Wenger, there was one constantly emphasised aspect of the ‘New Era’, youth. That has always been Wenger’s primary route to squad building, buying relatively unknown players for low prices and moulding them into the top players needed at the level Arsenal play. It was, of course, always a gamble, for every Thierry Henry, there are over 10 Yaya Sanogo’s. Arsenal promoted academy manager, Freddie Ljunberg, to the first team setting in other to help fast track the transitioning of the youth players to the first team set up. Their recruitment since Wenger’s departure has also pointed out to a team looking to build a young squad for the long term. So far so good, it has not been a smooth ride, not buy any means.
Back in the early years of Arsene Wenger, teams and fans were relatively patient as squad building, especially on young and unknown talents takes times, that’s a stark contrast to this days where instant results are expected of a manager. Similarly, 20 years ago, it would be unthinkable to sign a player for the odd £100m, it is, likewise, a stark contrast to today’s market where that figure is being thrown about easily at just about everything that can kick a ball. In essence, what Arsenal are trying to replicate can very well be termed a thing of the past, having a young squad is vital for the clubs long term future but that is no mean feat as opposed to the late 90s or early 21st century.
In today’s game, money has practically become the only route to success, there have been the odd success without colossal inflow of money from the owner but even in those, you will still find an element of spent money. Many will point to Jurgen Kloop’s success at Liverpool as an example to a success where excess money wasn’t streamlined in by the owners, but even at that you factor in the colossal fees spent on Allison and Virgil Van Dyke and the point still stands, Liverpool, though, must be given credit for their judicious spending. Arsenal have shown tendency to spend of recent, but the Level of success of those signings are quite mixed and not as effective as would be wanted, a prime example being the underwhelming Nicolas Pepe.
Analysing Arsenal’s transfer dealings over the past one(1) and half years, it is safe to say that the club is totally trusting on the youth players to lead the way going forward, both youths from the academy or those gotten in the market for bargain fees. There is one reality, however, that needs be faced, there is one question that needs be answered, just how far can this set of youth players take the club? Are the youth players as good as they are made out to be?. This, of course, is a far from straight forward question, but nonetheless one which must be answered with relative level of discretion and honesty.
Arsenal are a team competing at the very highest level of football, and aiming to compete for the biggest of honours. Can a team of the likes of Guendouzi, Saka, Martinelli, Willock, Smith Rowe realistically compete with world-class superstars such as Kevin DeBruyne, Sergio Aguero, Virgil Van Dyke and Sadio Mane?. Without getting anything misunderstood here, these players, of course, were once academy graduates and youth prospects but there is a stark contrast between the teams they grew in in comparison with this Arsenal team. They all grew in either fairly ‘small’ teams with low expectations or well oiled top teams where they played in the midst of top veteran players to aid their development and also not derail the team by any means.
Arsenal, though, is the complete opposite of all of these conditions, the expectations are not as low as that of a mid-table team which, in all fairness, they play like. The veteran players aren’t good enough either, which veteran defender can actually teach and aid the young defenders on the field? Exactly zero (0). Same goes to the midfield where there are a lot of bodies, the quantity seemingly inversely proportional to the quality of play. The attacking unit which used to be a measure of strength now looks to be in disarray with two of the bests of it reportedly angling for a move away.
This Arsenal team is one in need of major surgery, a surgery in need of relatively colossal amount of money, money in need of high level football transfer brains. To compete at the level Arsenal have previously aired ambitions to compete in, a bunch of under ’20s can’t make the cut, there has to be a right blend of the youth with proven world-class performers to compete with the very bests of European football. To get the aforementioned proven performers, Arsenal will need to spend big, there’s no back door route on this, there’s no ‘outsmarting the market’ at least to a good extent.
Arsenal have a great crop of young, exciting players who look set for a bright future, but they, alone, cannot carry Arsenal to the required level at this moment in time. If Arsenal wants to mingle with the ‘big boys’ they must do the necessary.
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