If anything positive can be taken from this season - regardless of a Top Four finish or not - it is the fact that Arsenal will probably not have to deal with another transfer saga this summer.
Assets like Robin Van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri have long since departed while the big clubs will not be coming for the likes of Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla just yet.
Which makes this summer all the more crucial. If the Gunners fail to overhaul Spurs for the final Champions League place, they will need to rebuild quickly to avoid a Liverpool-style meltdown and stagnation.
A few seasons ago, Arsene Wenger could bank on a crop of young talent that had the potential to bring success to the club. But apart from Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs, there does not appear to be too many quality youngsters coming through at the club these days.
That leaves the transfer market as Arsenal’s big hope. But recent signings like Andre Santos and Gervinho have shown that, despite Wenger’s protestations about finding value in the market, Arsenal have settled for second-rate players all too often.
Although Arsenal made mistakes in past transfer market dealings like French defender Pascal Cygan and goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, these were exceptions to a rule characterised by astute acquisitions.
Dirty work
But Arsene Wenger had David Dein by his side during that time. Indeed Wenger admitted that Dein used to do the “dirty work” of transfer negotiations for him.
The club’s former vice-chairman was the key figure who pushed through the signings of Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars, Robert Pires, Sol Campbell, Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas among many other stellar names between 1996 and 2007. He was also the man responsible for bringing the then-unknow Wenger to Arsenal in the first place.
Since Dein was exiled from the Emirates by the Arsenal board for unilaterally seeking a new investor, the quality of purchases has diluted significantly despite the fact that Wenger still has an eye for a good player.
The Frenchman recently claimed that there was a long list of top quality names who could have been playing for Arsenal. Perhaps with Dein on board they may well have ended up plying their trade at the Emirates. For example David Villa could have been secured from Barcelona in January while the prospective signing of Xabi Alonso from Liverpool in 2009 could have become reality.
The manager remains on excellent terms with Dein and it is rumoured that Wenger will only sign a new contract if his ever-influential ally’s return to the club is guaranteed.
Martin Keown
Wenger is known for being stubborn so he may well get what he wishes. But he could also learn something from the way Bayern Munich operates. The German giants make a point of utilizing former players within the club’s structures to give some level of direction and pass on the club’s values.
One area that could be looked at is the leaky defence. Former Arsenal defender Steve Bould is currently Wenger’s assistant manager – although the extent of their working relationship is clouded in some mystery.
But as well as giving Bould greater responsibility there is another name to consider. During Arsenal’s run to the 2006 Champions League final – which included a record 10 clean sheets in succession – Martin Keown was brought in to work with the backline to great effect and could bring useful expertise and experience to the role.
