The January transfer window; exciting for everyone else, except Arsenal fans. This year has yet another familiar look to it at Arsenal as it seems another opportunity for new players to join seems to have passed without a whimper.
But is the January window necessary? Or does it just suit particular teams? I get the idea that Arsenal fans see no new arrivals this month as a massive chance wasted to improve the squad. However, I'm not entirely convinced that any new signings would have any impact - before the summer at least.
January is a time where clubs have little over 4 weeks to try and bolster their teams to add a bit more 'oomph' for the second half of the season. This is less than half the time clubs get in the summer, and most clubs, if not all, have a very heavy January schedule to deal with on top of that - as if dealing with negotiations these days alone wasn't hard enough.
The time constraints mean that inevitable rushed business takes place, and we can't afford any more of that at Arsenal. One Andre Santos is enough, never mind another one.
Take Wilfried Zaha, for example. Massive potential, huge talent, but where does a 20-year-old attacker fit in at United? Ahead of Van Persie? Rooney? Hernandez? For a £15m player - who needs games at that tender age - to be fourth down the pecking order (unless Bebe returns from Portugal and take the Premier League by storm), is not benefiting anyone. Fans will want to see him play, but you can bet you'll only see him in the Cup until RVP's injury curse strikes again (it's only a matter of time).
Arsenal would probably do the same to Zaha, hence why we haven't gone for him, surely. On the other hand, who would benefit us right now, Mohamed Diame? I see him as a less injury-prone version of Diaby, while I'm sure we were all being realistic by dismissing 'Cavani to Arsenal' rumours as rubbish - Wenger is never going to spend enough money to get him any time of the year.
As for David Villa, I'm pleased we haven't pursued him. Some fans seem absolutely gutted that we haven't got him, but, so what? He's the kind of player who would be good for one, maybe two years at his age, and that's if he doesn't need time to settle. Plus, any of the front three would have to be sacrificed to put him in the team, and I wouldn't swap them for anyone on their current form.
Don't get me wrong, when I saw the headlines with Wenger stating we don't need any new players, I was amazed. But maybe he's right (again). We'll need strengthening in the summer, there's no doubt about that, but who knows what will happen between now and then? Will Wenger even be here? Will the trophy drought end? With a day left of the window remaining, there isn't much a hasty purchase in the eleventh hour can do to our season now - however exciting they may be.
If we don't buy it's neither a disaster or a failure. No-one will ever be able to say our season would have been fine if we bought in January in the event it turns out pear-shaped. But at least, the consolation of no panicky transfers and the preservation of team harmony, along with the fact we shouldn't be seeing much more of Squillaci, Djourou and Chamakh from here on in; add to that the noticeable funds we have been saving over the years - the transfer window could yet be a goldmine for Arsenal.
Come On You Reds!
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