August 25, 2017: It’s two weeks into the league and Arsenal have started turning the time machine backwards already. All the important talks of carrying the momentum from their Community Shield win hasn’t got to the players as they started their campaign with two successive draws against Leicester City and Stoke City.
Just as Arsenal fans spat out their vile slogans against Arsene Wenger in the media, Manchester City announced the signing of Alexis Sanchez. And although the Sky Blues haven’t started their season any brighter with a draw and a loss against Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton respectively as Ederson increasingly looks a taller version of Claudio Bravo every passing week, Arsenal find themselves in deep water as they have four days to find the Chilean’s replacement before the transfer window closes.
The £50 million asking price of Thomas Lemar is bound to double as AS Monaco remain unwilling to part ways with any more of their talents this summer, following the sale of Kylian Mbappe, who was snapped up by Real Madrid last week. However, Sanchez’s £70 million sale has fetched Arsenal enough cash to try and tempt them.
Arsenal’s next three games include away trips to Liverpool and Chelsea and although Alexandre Lacazette’s brace against Stoke was a positive, Wenger is still waiting on Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi to return from their respective suspension and injury.
Losing Sanchez hasn’t definitely dwindled Arsenal’s attacking edge for now but strengthening another title challenger yet again after all the lofty talks of holding onto the superstar in press conferences, has annoyed one and all.
“Wenger has crossed all the limits this time fam. I’m sure he is after some tiny blud who is still in his diapers and would take light years to adjust to Premier League,” Troopz was heard saying to Arsenal Fan TV.
And his fears are not totally unfounded, as Sky Sports have been reporting over the past few days of Arsenal getting closer to Russia’s Aleksandr Golovin. The 21-year-old, who plays for CSKA Moscow, was swept away in the recently concluded Confederations Cup prior to the season and has expectantly been in Wenger’s priority list, who was also heard praising the youngster highlighting his dribbling and passing abilities.
Sanchez’s sale wasn’t quite surprising for Arsenal legend and Sky pundit Thierry Henry though. “See, Chelsea hardly expect to get anything from Diego Costa’s sale because they had announced his exclusion from the squad months back. Wenger played a smart by keeping his cards close to his chest. 70 million for a 28-year isn’t less. They can improve various positions now,” explained Henry while Jamie Carragher giggled sitting beside him.
