Arsenal supporter and AFTV regular Lee Judges has described the club’s summer transfer window as “scandalous” and “an absolute joke” shortly after watching them win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final.
Judges delivered his assessment on AFTV Xtra after Arsenal completed deadline day without making another signing.
“It’s an absolute joke of a transfer window,” he said. “I’ve had enough of all the do-gooders.”
Arsenal’s summer business included the arrivals of Bruno Guimarães, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis, alongside goalkeeper Illan Meslier and the permanent signing of Piero Hincapié following his loan spell.
For Judges, none addressed the club’s most important weakness sufficiently.
He argued that Arsenal needed an elite left-sided attacker capable of closing the narrow gap between winning the Premier League and winning the Champions League, where they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
Judges named Vinícius Júnior and Julián Álvarez as examples of the calibre required. Arsenal were linked with both players during the window but signed neither.
The club also allowed Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, Reiss Nelson and Ethan Nwaneri to leave while Tzolis was their only attacking addition.
Judges therefore believes Arsenal have weakened the forward line and become increasingly dependent upon Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz remaining fit, something he noted they have struggled to do consistently during the previous two seasons.
His concern about the squad’s depth is legitimate. The surroundings in which it was expressed were less conventional.
Judges began from the position of being proud of Arsenal for winning their first league title since 2004 and finishing one penalty away from becoming European champions. Within minutes, that campaign had become the supporting evidence for why the following transfer window was unacceptable.
Success had not reduced expectations. It had merely provided a more impressive platform from which to become furious.
Arsenal finished last season as the best team in England and almost the best team in Europe. Their failure to sign one more left winger was enough for Judges to conclude that the summer had still been a shambles.
