Arsenal Transfers: How Arsenal Has Fooled Fans Again During This Transfer Window

Arsenal's transfer activity this summer, though activity is a gross misuse of the word, has been the clearest indication that fans have been fooled by the club.

Declarations were made at the beginning of the summer that heightened expectations about the club's prospects—but were those words truly going to be put in action?

In some corners, Arsenal fans have mastered the most powerful fan weapon of all, hope. They've hoped all summer that the transfer rumours concerning big names were true, and those hopes have been shot down continuously.

It's not really their fault though. 

At the beginning of the summer Arsenal's chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, proclaimed from the highest point of the Emirates, reported here by the BBC, that Arsenal had money to spend. They could afford big-name targets. 

So it's no surprise that Arsenal fans believed this was the summer when the club would make its mark during the window, and return to glory.

It's no coincidence, then, that Arsenal's transfer rumours this summer have resembled something like a contra dance, as Arsenal has gone down the line and reportedly twirled and dipped with one big-name partner after another.

First it was Stevan Jovetic, then it was Gonzalo Higuain, and, finally, we are at Luis Suarez. Sprinkle in some Wayne Rooney, Marouane Fellaini, Bernard, Julio Cesar and, well, you get the picture. And that's just the big names.

Arsenal fans truly believed that some of these rumours would become reality—and why not? They may have missed one crucial bit in all of Gazidis' rumblings though, per the aforementioned BBC article.

"

But he warned that boss Arsene Wenger, who Gazidis says will stay long term, will not necessarily spend such money.

It is going to be the players that Arsene believes in, Gazidis said.

He is pretty blind to price tags, he looks at what he sees with his eyes and makes judgements based on that, not on reputations and prices.

"

That last sentence should have acted as an uh-oh moment for Arsenal fans, although the cynics in the camp would surely have already thought as much. There may have been big-name targets in mind, but Arsene Wenger's recent track record suggested that, money or no money, any major move was unlikely.

Now, this isn't any attempt to vilify the Frenchman. He's done enough to prove himself during his Arsenal tenure and deserve some level of trust, if Arsenal fans have any.

One does wish, though, that he would recognize the financial changes within the game, and act accordingly. We'll get into that a little more later.

Gazidis, on the other hand, made a smart move to help himself and the board at the beginning of the summer.

He possessed the cleverness to state the change in the club's financial status, and he put the onus on Wenger to go out and make the big signings. A ploy that Life's A Pitch contributor Mike Calvin, a writer for the likes of the Independent, the Daily Telegraph and Times, saw through. 

"

Wenger needs to realise the sudden flurry of publicity, generated by CEO Ivan Gazidis, can only increase the pressure on him.

By telling the world Wenger has a lot of money to spend – £75m is the supposed figure – Gazidis suggests it is imperative the manager changes tack. If Wenger doesn’t, and Arsenal’s strategic decline deepens, it will be perceived to be the Frenchman’s fault.

"

As Calvin puts it, the comments above concerning Wenger's eye for talent, and the money in hand, make Gazidis and the board look bold, and set Wenger up as the fall-guy.

That move may not have been all that smart to begin with, though. Clubs were then aware that Arsenal had plenty of cash to offer, and they would certainly try to squeeze the club for all they could. 

Wenger hasn't helped himself at all though. Wayne Veysey of Goal.com writes about his indecisiveness, and some of his latest comments reported by ESPN FC suggest there is little for fans to hope for.

"

We are not close to signing Suarez or anybody else so there’s no reason why I should talk about it...

With or without additions we can be title challengers next season...

What we want is not a name but a good player. The name is less important. What is more important is the quality of the player. At the moment I must tell you we are not close to signing anybody.

"

Sound familiar?

The Arsenal manager should be well aware that in today's transfer market, some players, usually the big-name players, are no longer bought because of how much they are actually worth in terms of career history, skills, potential, team fit and so on.

They are bought because admirers have the money.

The plain truth is that moves like Higuain's to Napoli, or Edinson Cavani to PSG, are indicative of the current climate of the transfer window, and that's not something that's likely to change.

Wenger believes in true value, and that's great, but Arsenal will never be on par in the transfer window if that continues.

Does that mean that Wenger should have spent £40 million on Higuain because Real Madrid supposedly raised the asking price at the last minute?

That's a matter of opinion. As some fans have pointed out, it would have made the Gunners look like amateurs who won the lottery and want to spend it all on the newest, shiniest car in the lot.

Still, it does not outweigh the fact that Higuain would have been a great addition, and the best move may have been to sign him.

A bigger, not outlandish, offer from the start could have ended things quickly. After all, as Gazidis' comments made clear, Arsenal does have the money.

On the other hand, Arsenal fans believe that Suarez is worth that kind of outlay. Why?

Premier League experience would be a good argument, and the Uruguayan is a better dribbler than Higuain, but is that worth the headache?

No.

Neither player alone would make Arsenal a contender, but, as Arseblog puts it in his take on the situation, it's a matter of opinion.

In the end, it's unlikely that a Suarez transfer will happen. Not just because of the money or Liverpool's reluctance, but also because it would be extremely surprising for Arsene Wenger to sign a player with such baggage, regardless of his talent.

So we are back to the start. There is a little over a month left in the transfer window, and the possibility of a big-name signing is all but gone.

Arsenal may yet sign one or two solid players to increase depth, and help the squad survive the rigors of a tough campaign, but Arsenal fans will be left disappointed in terms of big names. 

A repeat of the 2011/12 transfer window deadline day may not occur, but it can't be ruled out either. One plus is that no major star has left the club.

Ivan Gazidis played a game at the start of the transfer window, and for the most part he's won. Arsene Wenger will take the majority of the blame should no new big star sign. If no one is signed at all, the fans will be annoyed with the board as well.

The summer of 2013 was presented as Arsenal's time to be ambitious, and to make moves to challenge the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United. That time seems long gone now.

Arsenal fans still have another month to go, but it looks like they have been duped for another summer.