Since Arsenal stopped winning trophies four years ago, the summer close season has usually been a pretty miserable time for Gooners everywhere. Fans have had to sit back and watch the other top teams bringing in multi-million pound signings whilst the only news coming out of the Emirates is about whether Emmanuel Adebayor or Cesc Fabregas are going to leave.
Great news
There has been a fair amount of that going on this summer already but yesterday saw some great news for Arsenal fans. They made one of the best signings of the current transfer window when Robin van Persie signed a new long-term deal with the club.
The twenty-five year old striker was Arsenal’s leading scorer last season with twenty goals from forty-four appearances and has become something of a talisman for the side.
Great deal
He has been at Arsenal since 2004 and has now agreed a deal believed to be worth around £80,000 a week. In the context of wages being paid to players who are no better than van Persie around Europe, that seems like a great deal for the club.
Talking of his new deal, the length of which has not been revealed, van Persie said,
“I have been at the club for five years now and there really is a great feeling here at Arsenal. We have a top-class manager, a squad full of superb young players and brilliant supporters. Arsenal have a very bright future and I want to be part of it. My heart is with Arsenal and I just can’t picture myself in a different shirt. I just can’t see it now because I love this club so much. If you look at the last five years, look at the steps I have made every season, if you look at the support the boss and the whole club gave me, the fans gave me, my team-mates gave me, this is the right decision.”
After the signing of twenty-three year old Belgium international defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax, and the news that Adebayor and Fabregas will probably be staying for another season, this is shaping up to be a decent summer for Arsenal fans.
Return
Next season will hopefully see the full return of Eduardo and Rosicky and things might just be looking up for Arsene Wenger as he tries to end the drought of trophies. Andrey Arshavin has had a chance to get used to England and the English game and if he can produce on a regular basis what he produced at times in the latter part of last season, then Arsenal may well have got themselves a gem.
I do not see Arsenal’s goalkeeper or back four as a potential Premiership winning defence and it would still be great for the club if they could strengthen in that area, but going forward, they are looking a match for anyone. Walcott, Fabregas, Rosicky, Arshavin, Adebayor, van Persie, Eduardo. It’s an impressive list.
Competitive
What all this adds up to is that Arsenal will probably not win the Premier League or the Champions League but they will be competitive in both. They will certainly be finishing in the top four again and will qualify from the group stages of the Champions League. They must surely have a great chance of getting their hands on the Carling Cup or the FA Cup and whilst they might not be the pinnacle of the game, any trophy would be welcomed at the Emirates right now.
With the amount of attacking talent at Arsene Wenger’s disposal there is no doubt that his side will remain as one of the best teams to watch from a neutral’s point of view. If they can turn their great possession and great football into goals, through a fully fit and firing van Persie, Adebayor and/or Eduardo, then they might just be able to set their sights even higher.
I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that the trophy cabinet at the Emirates may need to be opened for the first time in a while over the next few months.
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