Arsenal could be waiting to sign their own version of Virgil van Dijk

Arsenal bolstered their defence and midfield in the summer transfer window.

Ultimately, though, they failed to address what arguably mattered most: elevating the attack.

Christos Tzolis was signed from Club Brugge, but after selling Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal are pretty light in forward areas.

They tried to get Vinicius Jr, they waited on Julian Alvarez, they opted not to pursue Bradley Barcola. The one they did arguably miss the boat on was Morgan Rogers.

But Miguel Delaney has reframed Arsenal’s approach in a compelling way.

Arsenal’s transfer approach mirrors what Jurgen Klopp did at Liverpool

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal rebuild has often been compared to that of Jurgen Klopp’s at Liverpool — two giant clubs in turmoil rebuilt to Premier League champions.

When Klopp came in, he addressed the attack first, bringing in the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

But it took years to fix the defence by signing a truly elite centre-back.

They waited years for the right player to become available, and in January 2018, Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk for £75million — a world record fee for a defender at the time.

Had they rushed and signed, say, the wrong £35-40million centre-back, it would’ve made it harder to eventually get the right one. But they waited for the ‘X-factor’ guy and, well, it didn’t work out too badly, did it?

You could argue that Arsenal may be doing exactly the same thing now in attack.

Arteta was clear after the Champions League final defeat. He wanted more X-factor in the final third. A player capable of individual moments that change games.

A decent left winger or a promising 21-year-old won’t provide that. Malick Fofana, for example, won’t provide that.

Vinicius, Alvarez, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all proved unavailable or unwilling, and Arsenal decided they weren’t going to compromise.

Maybe that discipline, frustrating as it feels right now, is the right call.

Had Arsenal signed ‘a body’ late in the window, the squad gets a little crowded again and you have less funds down the line.

If the right player becomes available in January — Eli Junior Kroupi, for example — Arsenal are now well positioned to move for him. Would they be had they had signed an Iliman Ndiaye or a Kevin Schade? Probably not.

They couldn’t move for Antoine Semenyo last January because they already signed Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke in the summer to fill those squad spaces.

If history is any guide, the clubs that wait for the right player, rather than settling for the available one, tend to win in the end.