Jamie Carragher once saw fit to take aim at Arsenal’s transfer business, labelling three previous recruits as “a joke”.
The Gunners are now mounting a title challenge just over two years after Carragher’s comments lamenting their recruitment. Since then the north Londoners have changed their approach in the market, targeting younger players, and they have very much benefitted from a change in emphasis.
It highlights how far they’ve come having endured difficult periods early in Mikel Arteta’s reign. In the Spaniard’s first summer they went after established stars, several of whom were deemed surplus to requirements at their current clubs and allowed to join the Gunners.
The Sky Sports pundit was firm on his stance in December 2020 that the Gunners had taken the wrong approach with their transfers. Arteta picked up a disjointed squad, built by his predecessors, and set about putting his stamp on the playing group.
He added Willian on a free after Chelsea opted not to give him a new deal with Cedric Soares also added for nothing from Southampton. David Luiz had been signed from the Blues by Unai Emery, just months before Arteta arrived.
Carragher previously said on Sky Sports: “I really like Mikel Arteta. There’s a lot of nonsense around the club – bringing players, buying players. I think some signings were a joke. In terms of bringing Willian in, [David] Luiz in, Cedric [Soares] in. Is Kia Joorabchian making signings at the club?”
The former Liverpool man echoed that stance on the Overlap as he said: “Why are you buying rejects from Chelsea who are over 30, giving them big deals and then you can’t get rid of them. That’s not a mistake, that’s a mistake before it’s happened, its just stupid.
“David Luiz has gone for nothing, Willian will go for nothing and you’ve taken a load of dough out of your club and you’re left with nothing. Chelsea got the best out of them and then left Arsenal have them.” Carragher also questioned why there was any optimism about Willian making the move across London to the Emirates.
Hits and misses
Of the three players mentioned by Carragher: one left, one remains but is currently out on loan and one is now at another Premier League club and performing impressively. The latter being Willian, who has had a strong impact at newly-promoted Fulham.
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The Brazilian left Arsenal by mutual consent as he struggled to replicate the form he once showed at Chelsea. Willian returned home with Corinthians but was only there for a year before the Cottagers opted to bring him back to the English capital, where he has scored three times.
Luiz meanwhile has returned to Brazil, but remained there and looks set to see out his playing days with Flamengo.
Cedric is the only man still on the books at the Emirates, but he is back alongside Willian after joining Fulham on loan.
The Portuguese right-back was named in the Gunners squad at the start of the season, but he only featured twice in the Premier League this term before his switch to Craven Cottage, where he has thus far made appearances in the Premier League and FA Cup.
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