It’s hard to believe that the summer break is almost over, and we are preparing to start the next season of the English Premier League. Fans are preparing to support their team, and football enthusiasts are excited as they don’t have long to wait before betting on the first match. The beginning of August sees the kick-off of the 21/22 season, and Arsenal will first play a few days later, on the 13th. They have a large fanbase and are one of England’s most popular teams, so let’s have a look at their preparations for this year.
Last Season
Last year they finished in the middle of the table in 8th place. While this puts them safely away from relegation coma, it is not a top-four finish leaving them outside of all that prestigious placing means. Manchester City comfortably took the title, and of the 38 matches that all teams play in a season, they won 27. Comparatively, Arsenal won just 18 of their games, losing 13 and drawing 7. To advance up the table, they are clearly going to need to improve their form and win rate. They also finished with a goal difference of just 16, whereas Man City finished with a goal difference of 51, a considerable gap. In order to finish in the top four, they would need a performance as strong as Chelsea or Leicester City; Chelsea actually snatched 4th place at the last minute. Still, Leicester was a very strong contender for the whole of the season. They won 19 and 20 matches, respectively, so it is entirely possible for Arsenal to up their game and close the gap.
Line Up Changes
Everything Premier League has been on hold while the Euro 2020, postponed from last year, took place. All Premier League managers agreed to leave transfer talks and negotiations alone for the period of this tournament, but now this is over, it is time to return to the all-important transfer table and make their final plans. Defender Ben White is currently playing for Brighton, but Arsenal have made it very clear that they want to sign him, and the deal is thought to be worth in the region of £50 million. Negotiations are far from over, but it is known that the young player who is just 23 is keen to make a move, and it doesn’t look like Brighton will stand in the way.
New Talent from Belgium
He will not be the only new player joining the starting line-up. The club is also in the process of closing a deal with Anderlecht for their midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga. He is another youngster who, at 21, is showing great promise, and it is thought the transfer fee for him will be lower at around £15 million, including some personal terms and add-ons. However, while both player and club are keen for this new addition to get started, the required transfer quarantine rulings must be obeyed, so for now, he must wait out his quarantine period.
Already in Place
The deal has been completed for their new left-back Nuno Tavares, and he has already undergone his quarantining, so is at the club and training for the new season. The team have recently been in Scotland making preseason preparations, and he is thought to be with them and likely to feature in the line-up against Hibernian in the match on Tuesday night. On Saturday night, the team will play Rangers and then return to their home training camp to continue training.
No Longer Featuring
Of course, with new players arriving, older players must leave. Ben White is being brought in to replace David Luiz, who has already moved to pastures new. Also, seemingly surplus to the requirement is William Saliba. Last season he failed to make the Premier League and Europa League squad for the team and was politely sent away to Nice as a loan last January. Despite paying £30 million for the talented player, he doesn’t seem to gel well with the Gunners squad despite being there since 2019. It seems likely that there will be no spot for him this time either, but they are not ready to sell him. Instead, rumours suggest that he will be sent out on loan once more, and although Nice are keen to keep him, Newcastle United have also expressed an interest in taking him for the season in the English Premier League. They are hoping that time within the EPL is a better move for the Frenchman than Ligue 1 in France, and his experience with Newcastle will help his development.
The Governor
Currently, at the helm of Arsenal is Mikel Arteta, and his view is that the club would benefit from a central midfielder Kama a right-back, a centre back and a goalkeeper. However, finances are thought to be rather tight, and he has been told that he will not have as much money to play with as he might have hoped. So, it looks like to implement his plan, Joe Wilcock, Ainsley Maitland Niles, and Hector Bellerin could all be up for sale. At this stage, it seems that the centre midfielder is almost signed, sealed, and delivered, as are those at the back, but there is no news on who the manager is hoping to secure as their new goalkeeper. He certainly seems determined to ensure that his team have a better season and finish in a much higher place, back within the top four.
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