Myth that players get to decide when to leave club debunked by Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney. The clubs got tough and players actually fell back into line. Arsenal need to do same
The transfer window that Arsène Wenger wanted and the one he is going to get already look like two very different things.
The one he wanted was to keep the existing Arsenal squad intact – with the obvious exception of Nicklas Bendtner finally departing – and add both a striker and holding midfielder of genuinely world-class quality. Lars Bender and Karim Benzema would probably have been the dream signings.
What he has got is the looming need for major defensive surgery, if not to his actual first choice starting XI, most certainly to the squad. Bacary Sagna and Lukasz Fabianski have both departing after turning down new contracts and, in their desire for regular first-team football, it would seem that Thomas Vermaelen and Nacho Monreal would like to follow.
The loss of Sagna is the biggest blow and a situation that would surely have been averted if Arsenal’s final three-year contract offer had been forthcoming rather earlier. Put simply, Arsenal played a game of poker with Sagna and, in assuming that he would not receive better offers elsewhere, had their bluff well and truly called. They now find themselves looking for two players to cover for the loss of one – a right-back of similar class and also further back-up at centre-back. Sagna filled both of these roles with distinction at Arsenal last season.
The Fabianksi situation was more difficult and, given Wojciech Szczesny’s status as the first-choice goalkeeper, an entirely understandable parting of the ways. Wenger, though, should now be prepared to recruit a goalkeeper that can pressurise or even take the place of Szczesny, who has improved but is still not completely convincing.
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