Mikel Arteta drafted in Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares during the winter transfer window, but he faced little competition for either of those signatures
Arsenal are not “big fish anymore”, says Paul Merson, with the Gunners being left to pursue transfer targets that nobody else really wants.
The latest window is considered to have delivered another example of that.
Mikel Arteta was able to get two deals over the line, with Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares brought in to bolster a leaky defensive unit.
The jury remains out on both of those additions, with questions being asked of the Emirates Stadium new boys.
Mari tasted Copa Libertadores glory with Flamengo in 2019 but previously failed to make the grade at Manchester City and has spent time in the Spanish second tier with Mallorca, Gimnastic, Girona and Deportivo.
Cedric, meanwhile, won Euro 2016 with Portugal but had slipped out of favour at Southampton before heading through the exits at St Mary’s.
Merson believes that is the market Arsenal now find themselves shopping in.
The former Gunners star told Sky Sports, with Mari’s addition queried first: “Arteta worked with him at Man City and will have gone to Arsenal, worked with the defenders at Arsenal and weighed it up and thought ‘he’s played in the second division in Spain but he’s probably better than what I’ve got here’.
“The main thing is, he’s seen what he needs at the back. He has come in and brought two defenders in. Will they make a difference? We will have to wait and see.
“The shame for me is that it just shows where Arsenal are. They are struggling.
“They aren’t the big fish anymore where they can go and get £50m or £60m players. They are going for players that no-one else is really after. It wasn’t like they were in a bidding war.
“The lad from Southampton, I didn’t even know he was available and if there was anyone else after him.”
Arsenal, with their fresh faces welcomed into the fold, will be back in Premier League action on Sunday when they take in a trip to Burnley.
They head to Turf Moor having slipped into the bottom half of the table, further adrift of the top four and Champions League qualification.
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