Arsenal supporters must be growing tired of the same problems surrounding their club every season under the management of Arsene Wenger. They have again made a slow start to their Premier League campaign and already find themselves six points behind Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United side despite the fact they are only three games in.
We take a look at how their transfer business this summer has left them vulnerable this season.
3Arsenal’s defence is still very fragile
The main issue for Wenger’s side in recent years has been their defence, and this is something that is still yet to be addressed. The Gunners have conceded a whopping eight goals in their opening three matches against Leicester City, Stoke City and Liverpool. This is simply not good enough for a side that is expected to compete for the league title and achieve a place in the UEFA Champions League positions at a minimum.
Remarkably, Wenger appears to be opting to sell defenders rather than bring new ones into the club. 26-year-old Gabriel Paulista recently joined La Liga side Valencia on a five-year deal, and there is speculation that Shkodran Mustafi could be the next defender to leave despite only joining the club for a fee of around £35 million last summer. Full-back Kieran Gibbs is also being linked with a move to West Bromwich Albion, and if he was also to depart, it would leave Wenger with extremely limited defensive options.
This would leave Wenger with the likes of Mathieu Debuchy, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Rob Holding, Nacho Monreal, Calum Chambers, Hector Bellerin and new signing Sead Kolasinac. Majority of these players have already proved that they are not the most solid or consistent at this level and Wenger needs to add some more defensive solidity to his ranks before Thursday’s transfer deadline if he is to avoid yet another season of disappointment.
