Arsenal “unlikely to spend” says tenuous source

One of the drums we always beat in the summer transfer frenzy is “know your sources, and don’t trust crappy ones”. It’s in that spirit that I bring you a “story” from goal dot com titled, and I’ll put this in big font so it’s as alarming as they want it to sound,

There. Now, we’re all properly terrified, right? Well, Sure. But there’s a few things to consider here:

- Arsenal rarely spend big in January; Arsene Wenger is known for not really caring to do much in the winter window. There are obviously exceptions, but overall, he doesn’t see January as a time to make a big splash, and I don’t see why this January would be any different.
- There is literally nothing in this article that has substance or backing to support the “Arsenal won’t spend in January” thesis. Their basic premise, thin as it is, rests on the LANS theory - and while that may not actually be wrong, I can’t read this article, with no quotes, no background, and no substance, and take their word for it.
- goal dot com is not the most solid source on their best day, and this article was produced on most definitely not their best day.

As the article points out, Welbeck, Ramsey, and Mertesacker are “close” to a return, and Santi Cazorla should be back “in the new year”, but the existence of those things as facts does not automatically preclude Arsenal doing something in the transfer window.