Raw data nicked from The Times (don’t tell them), totalled up and sorted into biggest to smallest spenders. No trophy for Arsenal again, and we had only the sixth biggest transfer of the 2013 window with the Nacho Man.
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angryofislington 
Would it be fair to say that had it not been for Kieron Gibbs’ injury and the inept performance of his replacement (once again) that we would not have aquired a competent player with an established pedigree ? Of course seeing is believing but judging by what I have read about him reports suggest optimism. My point of course is that fate rather than fact seems to intervene in AWs transfer musings . The “what if” scenario comes into play here . What if KG was not injured on wednesday night but instead was injured against Stoke today ? If not for the timely and fortunate intervention of Fate we would have been left with little option but to play Andrea Santos in a pivitol position for the immediate future. Not wishing to be insensitive to Mr Santos’ sensibilities , but his displays as a fullback have been awful . What ever else he is he is not nor will he ever be a fullback. In the meantime thank goodness for Fate it gives me hope !
The reports were fairly consistent that the Monreal transfer was basically pushed forward from the summer – ie Andre Santos exit was expected then. So Arsenal was going to upgrade anyway. And Santos is gone anyway – would have been gone in this window if the Turkish club hadnt pulled out.
At least give the club credit – they are looking to cut the cord faster now if transfers dont work out. In the past they would have done nothing and let sants run out the contract.
The spending table is somewhat deceptive for 2013. You can expect Liverpool and Newcastle to sell big in the summer. Suarez is gone and clearly Newcaslte is setting up themselves to sell Cabaye with his replacements already in place. Possibly Tiote too. So their net spend will be down. Similarly Spurs is overloaded in midfield and will have to offload.
No it wouldn’t be fair…and it is too much to expect you to have a balanced view Noel! Wenger said that this deal, as Ziontrain accurately points out, was started last summer and not necessarily consummated in a panic buy as many would like to believe. Wenger had been trying to offload Santos over the transfer window and when he saw it wasn’t going to happen he brought in Monreal. The only fate here is that you ignore the facts and prefer to roast Wenger for every feeble excuse you can find.
I don’t believe that I have an unbalanced view of AW or that I gave him a roasting Domhuail. I merely pointed out that Fate had taken a hand in events . You refer to comments made by Ziontrain where you pointed out that a deal was initiated last year but you didn’t mention that the transfer was “pushed forward from the Summer” to quote the same source , a story I accept as fact. A player arriving at a club five months prematurely and signing in the last hour of the last day of the transfer deadline may not constitute “a panic buy” but it certainly indicates deep concern by someone somewhere.The point is that whatever the future of Andrea Santos at the club may be, it was the injury to kieron Gibbs that was the catalyst for change and Monreals early arrival.