It's not always easy writing about Arsenal, but the surroundings can sometimes help and sitting on a beach in Ibiza certainly isn't the worst setting. There's plenty to write about at the moment with the transfer window about to shut and player movement in both directions happening. The squad has certainly been strengthened with the new arrivals, but it seems like we will see a few players leave on loan deals too.
The additions of Lucas Perez and Shkodran Mustafi are most welcome as they come in positions where the team/squad needed more depth and they look ready to be used from the off. Mustafi looks like the central defender we have being waiting for to partner Laurent Koscielny, but the current form of Rob Holding probably means we won't see him start straight away. With Gabriel Paulista and Per Mertesacker both injured we needed another central defender and we needed one for the long term too considering Mertesacker's age and maybe even Koscielny's too.
With both of them injured it's a little surprising to see Calum Chambers being allowed to go out on loan, but he will join Middlesbrough for the rest of the season. Things haven't exactly worked out for him at Arsenal since his arrival from Southampton two years ago, but hopefully some regular first team football will help him to take the next step and come back ready for first team action. There's no mention of the club being able to recall him if the need arises or if he falls out of favour at Boro and we can only hope all goes well for him.
Perez hasn't exactly hit the high spots in his career so far, but he looks like he has a good eye for a goal. Maybe playing for a team who create as many chances as Arsenal will give him the opportunity to step up to the next level and we might just have got ourselves a reasonably priced gem. He will certainly give us more options up front and that's something we have been far too short of recently. He's not the big money superstar we've being crying out for and it still looks like our striking issues have not been resolved four years after the departure of Robin van Persie.
It also looks like Jack Wilshere could be on his way out on loan to try to get some first team action. His series of injuries and our options in midfield would make it look like a good move, but I'm not so sure. He definitely needs first team football, but surely there will be enough games coming up for him to get plenty of chances to make his mark on the team. A couple of injuries to other players could leave us crying out for his return, but the terms of any loan deal probably wouldn't make that possible.
Of course he's just as likely to pick up another knock and rule himself out for another long spell and maybe he needs the first team action week in and week out to get back to where he was before he lost all of last season. It's a hard one to call and it's not easy to know what's best for the player and the club. For me we need to do what's best for Arsenal though and I think he should stay with us and fight for his place in the team.
There's still more than a week to go in the dreaded international break and news will dry up once the transfer window closes tonight. I think I'm in the right place for the next week and I should be back just in time for the return of real football. Arsenal play at home to Southampton on Saturday week and hopefully we will get to see the new players and even more importantly get our first home win of the season.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
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