Hindsight is a wonderful thing isn’t it?
To be quite honest with you, when Manchester United forked out an incredible £36 million to sign Anthony Martial from Monaco on deadline day, cries of ‘who’ rang around the bar while many questioned whether both Louis van Gaal and Ed Woodward had lost their mind.
But four games into his United career so far and the young French international has struck four goals in four games while proving that he was a gamble worth taking by United while for the likes of Arsenal, they were standing still with Arsene Wenger claiming that there was no value in the market.
While nobody is disputing the fact the fee for Martial was incredibly extortionate, some Arsenal fans find it so hard to agree with Wenger’s laidback stance in the transfer window given Arsenal charge one of the most expensive prices for a matchday ticket in the Premier League, not to mention the fact, Lord Harris claimed the Gunners have £200 million stashed away in the kitty!
What’s made it worse for Gooners is the fact that both Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud have been wasteful in front of goal this term despite getting on the scoresheet here and there.
With the Gunners looking light up top and United benefiting from the he who dares, wins mantra in regards to landing Martial, we’ve devised five reasons why Arsenal should’ve moved for the Frenchman far earlier in the summer and ahead of the Red Devils.
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 reasons why Arsenal should’ve signed Manchester United’s Anthony Martial.
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Because they already had a first hand glimpse of what he could do in the Champions League
One of the criticisms of Arsene Wenger’s current regime is the fact that Arsenal seem to have lost it in regards to scouting the next Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp or Robert Pires.
With both Chelsea and Manchester City having more readily lured the cream of the crop in young talent in the past few seasons, Arsenal haven’t nearly brought through as many exciting youngsters as they used to in the earlier part of Wenger’s Gunners reign.
What Wenger often claims is that Arsenal will buy if there is a genuine quality player available for the correct price on the market but this stance is often branded silly when the likes of Swansea City are able to snap up the likes of Andre Ayew on a free while the Gunners try and march on with what they currently have,
For some Gooners, this lack of ambition is holding them back and lets be honest, Arsenal got an earlier glimpse of Anthony Martial than most considering he helped tear them apart in the Champions League last sixteen stage last season where Monaco earned a shock 3-1 victory over the Gunners at Emirates Stadium.
We think Arsenal should’ve been making moves for his signature from that very moment!
Because he was already considered the ‘next Thierry Henry’
Ever since breaking through as an even younger player in his native France, Anthony Martial has drawn comparisons to the greatest Arsenal legend of them all in Thierry Henry.
We’ve already seen shades of the great man in Martial when he floated in off the left hand side against Liverpool before coolly dispatching for his first Manchester United goal against Simon Mignolet and we wonder why Arsene Wenger wasn’t tempted to take a gamble on a man who could emulate their greatest legend.
The Henry comparisons were popularised by French journalist Philippe Auclair and given Theo Walcott continues to be inconsistent in regards to staking his claim to be Arsenal’s main forward, we don’t know why Wenger didn’t have designs on starting the Henry conversion process from left winger to striker all over again with Martial.
Because having just Theo Walcott & Olivier Giroud was never enough
With ex-Arsenal players such as Ian Wright having claimed that Arsenal’s alleged pursuit of Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema was embarrassing this simmer, we can’t help but agree with the Match of the Day pundit given the fact it appears no plan B option was hatched by Wenger before it was too late.
Having to put up with the inconsistencies of both Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud until January at the earliest, while the Gunners duo will get goals, there are serious questions marks over whether the pair can stay fit for the entire duration of the campaign, not to mention whether they will even score enough goals between them to haul Arsenal into the title reckoning come May time.
Right now, an injury to either or even both would spell disaster considering it is only Joel Campbell who is the other striker on the club’s books with Chuba Akpom out on loan at Hull City.
You just can’t help but think signing an extra striker for not only cover or competition would’ve re-energised the Gunners’ frontline and Martial could’ve been that man although £36 million would’ve had Wenger waking up in a cold sweat!
Because a big signing would’ve re-energised the fanbase
Having signed Petr Cech early on in the summer transfer window, it wasn’t only Gooners but also pundits and the media who were starting to sit up and feel that the club were now the real deal as a team to truly challenge Chelsea and Manchester City for the title.
But having infamously gone on to sign no outfield player in the rest of the summer window, Wenger drew and continues to draw negative criticism from some Arsenal supporters who claim he wasn’t intent on striving to go to that next level where Arsenal haven’t been for so long now.
We’ve previously seen that the signings of instantly recognisable names such as Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have energised the fanbase and created a feel-good factor around the club and while some supporters may have spat out their Corn Flakes at Arsenal splashing £36 million on Anthony Martial, at the same time, there would’ve been a certain level of delight that Wenger had finally reinforced a squad shortfall up top.
Right now, more expectant Gooners are quickly heaping criticism on the team given there are no fresh faces to get behind with some of the old guard flattering to deceive.
Because he’s French!
Quite simply, how many French players – both first team and of youth level – have passed through Arsenal during Arsene Wenger’s tenure?
From Robert Pires to Mathieu Debuchy, Thierry Henry to Sebastien Squillaci, Arsenal have always tended to put their faith in a large number of French players and with Arsene Wenger such a legend across the English Channel and with an extensive knowledge of the game in Ligue 1, we find it rather strange that the Gunners were never involved in the column inches when it came to landing Martial.
Linked far more frequently with the Gunners’ North London rivals Tottenham prior to Manchester United sealing a deadline day move for the player, we just find it rather odd that Arsene Wenger wasn’t interested in helping to shape the future of the next French superstar given how highly he’s thought of back in France.
What’s more, Wenger was previously the manager of Monaco so we think he should’ve been utilising those contacts back at Stade Louis II rather than playing dormant in the transfer window as he so often does!
