Arsenal should not panic - even if Leicester win, says Charlie Nicholas
Friday 19 August 2016 17:28, UK
Charlie Nicholas believes it is too early for Arsenal to panic, even if they do slip to a second successive defeat at Leicester.
The Gunners will be looking to bounce back from their opening-weekend 4-3 loss to Liverpool when they visit the champions on Saturday evening, having failed to strengthen their injury-blighted squad.
Arsene Wenger has once again been criticised for his lack for transfer activity with a deal yet to be reached with Valencia central-defender Shkodran Mustafi, but Nicholas is still hopeful the club will get the necessary business done.
The Soccer Saturday pundit said: "Yes the pressure is on Arsenal more than Leicester but failing to win the first two games is not dramatic. It's not time to panic.
"Arsenal are doing what they always do, waiting. They wait, wait, wait in the transfer market and then play catch up. This happens every season.
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"I look at Wenger and I think that he hates the transfer market but that just adds to the point of getting business done early.
"I have been a strong supporter of Wenger's philosophy since he came in but the transfer market has moved on so much in the last five years.
"The Mustafi deal will fall over the line at some point next week but why did he let this happen and risk all the unsettled feelings around the club?"
Nicholas believes that securing Mustafi and Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette will put the Gunners back in a strong position, with Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud poised to return to action.
He added: "Wenger just needs to apply the finishing touches to his squad because he's done the hard work.
"If he gets Mustafi and Lacazette for £70m then he might not have to buy big again for two to three years, which would put them in a stunning position.
"Manchester United are spending close to a quarter of a billion pound each summer and Arsenal only need to pay a fraction of that once in a few years."
